Todd & Marty
by angelsinstead
Summary: Marty chooses to forgive Todd for his past mistakes.   Subplot ::: John/Blair   Please READ and REVIEW.   Thanks!
1. The Kidnapping

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the love story of Marty and Todd. It also includes several other characters as well as their storylines. This story will be submitted in several parts and is based off the hit soap One Life to Live, yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story. Not all the parts of this story will contain erotic sex scenes as there is a plot. First and foremost, this story is a romance/drama, not a sex story.

Also, I'd like to note that I do not own ABC's One Life to Live or the characters and I will NOT be receiving any payment whatsoever for writing this story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only.

I hope you like my story...

John had a romantic evening planned for his lady. Wine, candlelight, soft music, dancing... the works. Blair had been through a lot lately, with the loss of her teenage daughter's newborn child and trying to be there for her daughter through all the heartache. John knew the stress had been a lot for Blair, especially since Blair too had lost a baby at birth. Then they had been dealing with all that crap involving Blair's ex, the psycho Todd. John really wished Todd would be sent to prison. They would all be better off with him out of their lives. But now Todd was free, roaming the streets again, probably planning his next rape or kidnapping.

The boys had gone to bed early, so John had Blair all to himself. When she came downstairs after tucking in the boys, John had everything ready for her. "Hey, babe," he said, taking her into his arms. He kissed softly down her neck, taking in her sweet scent. "Damn, you smell good," he spoke as he held her in his embrace. The romantic candlelight flickered in Blair's honey-colored hair as John gazed into her eyes. "We're all alone, what shall we do?" John asked her suggestively.

Meanwhile, Todd watched from the window, seeing a perfect view of Blair in John's arms. "Now they have reduced me to a peeping Tom..." Todd growled as he saw that jerk John nibbling on Blair's neck. "Ohhh you are so gonna pay for that..." Todd said in a sneer as he began planning his next kidnapping. It hadn't worked out when he had tried to kidnap Starr's baby... but now Todd had another kid in mind he wanted.

Blair melted into John's embrace. "Mmm," she said softly, unaware of the activity outside her window. "I think where you were headed is just fine," Blair said softly, as she slipped her arms around John. He had been amazing with the kids and had been so good to her. Things had been so crazy especially lately with Starr losing Hope and then Todd's trial. Sometimes she wondered what she had ever seen in Todd, though it looked like he wasn't around in Llanview at the moment. He had disappeared sometime after the trial, so perhaps things could finally get back to normal. She looked into John's eyes. "You and me are just perfect," she purred. All she needed was John McBain and nothing else; there was nothing more that she could ask for. The perfect man was standing in front of her with his arms wrapped around her, and that's just where she wanted to stay.

John lifted Blair's chin, raising her lips to his for a tender kiss. He slipped his arms around her tighter, pulling her body against his. His hands slid down her back, down to her ass. He cupped the globes of her ass in his hands, caressing them boldly as his mouth took hers in a kiss that grew with wild hunger.

His kiss got even more intense as he realized that Blair wasn't wearing any panties under her skirt. He bunched up the material of the skirt, revealing the perfect flesh of her ass. He began to rub his hands over her supple flesh, as his cock came to life while pressed between their bodies.

"Shit," Todd cursed, seeing John touching Blair's ass. He longed to be the one to touch Blair as John now was. He wanted her so damn much; it wasn't fair. "You're so gonna die!" Todd hissed, imagining John's blood spilling out in rivers of red.

Blair let out a moan of pure pleasure feeling John's hands on her body as she pressed herself closer to his body. "Mmm," she said feeling his hands on her naked ass. "I want to feel all of you inside of me," she whispered as she kissed him back, brushing her tongue against his as their kiss had deepened. He tasted so damn good. "I want more."

John got rock hard when he heard Blair's sexy moan. As the graceful music played in the background, her body moved against his. His stiff cock brushed against her abdomen as he lifted her up in his arms, his big hands cupping her ass. He set her down on the edge of the table, kissing her hungrily all the while. "I always wanted to fuck you on a table," he murmured into her ear, sliding his body between her parted legs. It wasn't long before he freed his cock from his pants and the huge tip extended forward as though seeking entrance into Blair's hot, snug cave.

"You fucking asshole," Todd snorted, crushing some leaves in his fist as he watched John sit Blair down on the table and then proceed to unzip his fly. Todd's eyes got huge, seeing John's very engorged cock making it's way toward Blair's wet snatch.

Blair loved the sight of John's huge cock. "Mmm," she said with delight. "Where do you plan on putting that?" she asked with a smirk as admired the size of it. "Looks so yummy," she purred, licking her lips. "So, so yummy."

John got his own smirk on his face at Blair's sexy words. "Well, baby, there are several places I am thinking I might like to put it..." He ran his eyes over her soft pink lips, then moved them down to her luscious breasts which spilled out over the low-cut blouse she was wearing. "It's up to you, my hot little sex-kitten, where would you like me to slide it in?" he asked in a husky voice, rubbing the tip of it against Blair's silky thigh.

"I think I'm gonna upchuck," Todd sputtered, as he could just about imagine what Blair and John were talking about. He couldn't believe how slow John was. Why didn't he just throw Blair down on the table and fuck the shit out of her? "That's what I would have done," Todd groaned, his own cock getting hard at just the thought of it.

Blair smirked. "Oh yeah," she moaned. "I think you're kinda close to where it should be slid into," she said when she felt him against her thigh. "Slide it in nice and slow," she begged. "I wanna feel every moment of it."

"Ohh Fuck this," Todd said as he could actually read Blair's lips and see what she had just said to John. "Slide it in." Hadn't she said that to him during sex well over a dozen times? That's one thing Blair and Todd always had... a hot, sizzling sex-life. They may have had their ups and downs and fought like cats and dogs, but they always knew exactly how to make up. Until John entered the picture. Always before, nothing and no one had stood in their way of reconciliation, but now John seemed to be the center of Blair's world. How Todd hated John... and he was angry at Blair for allowing John to step between them. "You'll pay for this, Blair. You and John both," Todd said as he climbed the trellis just outside of the house. From the trellis, he was able to access the balcony leading to Blair and John's bedroom. He sneered as he entered the room, because even their bed smelled of the sex the two of them oftentimes had.

Todd walked down the hallway, entering the boy's room. He stood over their beds, just watching them. They were sleeping like innocent babies. "Daddy's here," he said with an evil laugh.

Meanwhile, downstairs, John and Blair were quite busy and didn't hear a thing upstairs. They had no idea that Todd was in house. "Ohhh baby, I thought you would never ask," said John, when Blair commanded him to "slide it in." Nice and slow, he slid his cock deep and slow into her snug, moist heat.

"I'm sure you know I'll always ask," Blair said with a grin as she kissed down the side of John's neck softly. She felt him slide into her and let out a moan of pure pleasure. "Mmmmm yeah," she murmured feeling him inside of her so deeply. Her body was made for him and they fit each other so well. She was completely unaware that Todd was upstairs in her home where she had always felt safe.

John grasped Blair's ass cheeks in his big hands, pulling her to him so he could push more of his big throbbing cock into her. "Baby, you feel so good..." he groaned, watching every thick inch of his cock disappear into Blair's pink slit. "I love being this deep inside of you." He gazed into her eyes with his piercing sapphire ones, marvelling at the sensation of being one with her.

Todd dropped a note on the nightstand beside Sammy's Mickey Mouse lamp. He then bent down and picked up his youngest son. Sammy slept on and did not stir. But from across the room, Jack sat up in the bed, rubbing his eyes. He looked over at Todd in amazement. "Daddy, is that you?" he asked.

"Yep, son... the one and only," Todd said, frowning as he realized he had awakened Jack. It had never been his intention to take both the boys, but now that Jack had seen him holding Sammy, he had no choice but to take Jack along too.

"Dad, what are you doing...?" Jack asked suspiciously. He looked confused, but not frightened.

"Jack, my boy, we are going on a little trip..." Todd began, a wicked smirk on his face.

Blair let out a moan of pleasure. "I love you being that deep inside of me," she said as she felt John's cock throbbing deep inside of her. It felt so incredible. She ran her nails down John's back as she found his mouth kissing him passionately and deeply. She could go all night with him. "God... you feel so good," she murmured.

With hard thrusts, John began to move within Blair, shaking the table fiercely as he hung on tight to Blair's perfect ass. He kissed her hungrily, totally lost in her and completely oblivious that Todd Manning was upstairs, making off with the kids.

Todd talked Jack into helping him get out of the house through the back door. "Where's, Mommy? What's she doing?" asked Jack as they disappeared outside into the night.

Todd sneered as he carried little Sammy toward the van he had parked in the shadows near Blair's home. "She's busy... with John," Todd said as he lay little Sammy down in the backseat and covered him up with a warm blanket.

"I don't like John," said Jack.

"Get in the car, Jack," Todd said to his oldest son. "I left a note for your mother. I told her that you, me and Sammy are going on a trip."

"Kewl, Dad," Jack said with excitement as he climbed in the passenger seat of the van. "Where are we going, Dad? Six Flags? Disney Land?"

"Yeah, something like that," Todd said with a shrug, as he started the vehicle then sped off into the night.

As Blair moved with him on the table, she was sure that it might break as they moved harder and faster together. She felt her back being pressed into the surface of the table, her legs wrapped around John. "Fuck me harder," she breathed as she tangled herself up in John. "Oh God yes!"

John complied when Blair begged for him to fuck her harder. Perspiration dotted his chest as his hips moved with strength, sending his cock deeper and harder into her snug slit. Her walls encased him tightly as he rammed himself into her again and again, shaking the table with each vicious thrust. "I want you to cum all over my cock..." he said in a hot groan, his hands holding tight to her ass so he could wedge his stiff shaft over and over into Blair's pussy.

Todd tried not to think about what Blair and John were undoubtedly doing as he drove on through the night. At first Jack chattered on and on, so happy to be back with his dad again after so long apart, but after awhile, the eleven-year old had fallen asleep, hugging his four-year- old little brother. Todd glanced through the mirror into the backseat, seeing both boys resting soundly. Finally he left out a deep sigh of relief, so glad he had gotten away with the kidnapping. How long before Blair and John noticed the boys were gone? Probably hours, with the way they were screwing like horny dogs in the dining room.

A couple more hours had passed when he arrived at his cabin in the woods that no one else knew about, no one but Marty. Years ago, when Todd and Marty attended college, they had spent weekends here with a few of their friends. Now the cabin was quite old, but still usable. Todd hadn't come here in a few years, so luckily he had packed some supplies in the van for his and the boys' stay here. He had plenty of food, blankets, cleaning supplies, firewood, and candles. All of it would be needed, cause the cabin had no electricity. He and the boys would be roughing it for awhile. Todd didn't really mind though; it would be like a vacation for the three of them. Todd was actually looking forward to spending some time with his sons... he was even planning to take them fishing.

"What the hell?" Todd gasped then, seeing the glow of a lantern inside the cabin upon the makeshift table as he pulled up in the long hidden driveway that twisted back deep into the woods. "Who the fuck is in my cabin?"

Todd left the boys sleeping safely in the van, then went in to inspect the cabin to see who was inside. He had his knife in hand, ready to attack the intruder if necessary. He burst through the door, startling whoever was inside. With a loud bellow, Todd entered the cabin, his knife drawn in his own defense.

Blair moved with John, not caring how hard they were rocking that table. It felt so good, she was unaware at this time what was going on with any of her kids. This was exactly what she needed; she could feel her walls tightening around his cock as she felt her climax starting to rise. She would do just that...cum all over John's cock.

"Don't!" Marty said, seeing the knife. "Todd!" She had come here looking for him, to maybe talk to him, though she had no idea what she would say. She was just so angry and confused. He had lied to her, kept her at his home during the time of her amnesia, and everything... including him walking away and not doing jail time. His confession in the court room bothered her most of all. Now as he stood there, knife in hand, she was prepared to fight for her life if necessary.

"Ohhh Fuck, yeah... that's it... that's it," John groaned, shuddering in ecstasy as Blair's pussy clamped down on his big, throbbing cock. As a gush of her juices flooded his shaft, he exploded inside her, filling her pussy with his white-hot cum. He let out a moan of pleasure as he came and came, filling her channel. With one more pump of his hips, he spurted the last of his seed into Blair. Suddenly, he withdrew from her depths, a smirk on his face. "I think we have permanently messed up your aunt's table," he said with a laugh.

"I would say you are right," said Dorian as she walked into the dining room to see a very naked John withdrawing from her niece's extremely sexy body. Dorian looked nauseated as John reached for his shirt to cover his spectacular privates.

"Well, hello, Dorian... Blair and I were just... having a late dinner," said John as he tried not to crack up.

"I don't want to know what the two of you were eating..." Dorian said as she shot them a disgusted look. "I'm more worried right now about the lights I saw upstairs when I pulled up in the drive. Are the boys still awake?"

John looked over at Blair, a very worried expression on his face. It was well past midnight; there was little chance the boys were running around upstairs, turning on all the lights. "We better go up there and see what's going on," John suggested.

At the cabin, Todd got the shock of his life to see Marty there. "Marty," he spoke in a gasp, immediately pocketing the knife when he saw it was her in the cabin. "What are you doing here?" Todd demanded. He then sucked in his breath. "Marty, are you here to see me?" He suddenly asked hopefully. They had shared something special once, and Todd had always hoped Marty would someday come to him.

Blair scrambled off the table, pulling her clothes on. "They are supposed to be asleep. I put them down," she said, frantically getting dressed. She hurried along with John to run up and check on them.

Marty was more calm when Todd put the knife away and took a deep breath. "Yeah, I did," she said. The minute the words were out of her mouth she didn't know if it was the right thing to say. Should she even be doing this?

Blair and John rushed up the staircase two by two and were followed closely by Dorian. When they reached the boys' room, John saw that their beds were empty. He reached for an message on the nightstand right beside Sammy's Mickey Mouse lamp. "What's this?" he said, staring at it. His heart leaped in his chest, finding it to be a letter from Todd.

The letter read:

Blair and Fuck-Head John,

I have the kids. If you want to see them again, you will do everything I say. Wait for instructions. And don't do anything stupid or you will never see them again.

Todd Manning

"We should call Bo," John said as he handed the letter to Blair.

"What's happened? Where are the boys?" Dorian demanded.

"Marty, we do need to talk," Todd said as the glow of the lantern's light sparkled in Marty's beautiful eyes. "But... right now... I'm not alone. I've got the boys in the van. Would you help me carry them inside? They're both fast asleep."

Blair was reading the note and her face went white. "OH MY GOD, where's the phone? Yes, call Bo!" she said. She was frantic now. "Todd has the boys!" she gasped. How had he even done it? How had he gotten in? It made Blair sick to think of Todd with the boys; he was pure walking evil.

"Oh sure, sure," Marty said. "It's nice that Blair let you take the boys for awhile," she said, unaware that he had actually kidnapped his sons as she went out to help him bring the boys into the house. She missed Cole, her only son a lot, but she knew that their relationship was strained ever since she had gotten amnesia and couldn't remember him.

"Thanks, Marty... thanks so much," Todd said as Marty carried little Sammy inside and Todd carried Jack. Jack was really getting big, thought Todd as he laid the boys down in the spare bedroom in the big bed. He covered them with a blanket and then went in the living room with Marty. He right away started a fire in the fireplace to keep away the chill. He didn't want his boys to get cold. Thankfully, Marty hadn't questioned him about why he had the boys right now.

After that, Todd sat down at the table with Marty, the flickering candle between them. "How did you know I would come here, Marty... our old place, where we used to hang out before everything went down... the place where we used to go before I raped you?" The words tasted bad in his mouth as Todd spat them out. He had raped Marty... that would haunt the both of them for the rest of their lives. Todd had been young, stupid and on drugs at the time of the incident. Still that was no excuse. He had hurt the woman he loved... and he had been an ass and a total fool. How could he have ever hurt someone so beautiful? He had never forgiven himself for that... deep in his heart, he felt he was bad... irredeemable, and so because of that, he acted the part. Todd didn't realize it... but that was the main reason he committed evil acts.

"Marty, it doesn't matter how you knew I would be here. It just matters that you are here... that's all that matters. It's been five months since... Well, since we were together at my place in Llanview. And I deserved every bit of what you dished out when you got your memory back... but Marty, you just don't understand..." Todd said, trying to explain but failing miserably. "I meant everything I said to you, I meant every word... and Marty, I was shattered when you rejected me yet again when you found out the truth. I wish I could make you understand."

Marty was sitting with him and looked at him as she listened to him speak. She would never, ever forget what had happened. "I came because I had something to tell you," she said quietly. "No, Todd, I don't understand how you could do that to me; I really don't," she said. "How do you think I would react? I mean if you had cared about me so much then why would you rape me? I felt so hurt when I found out you were one of the rapists that night. I couldn't even process that thought."

"I'm so sorry, Marty, although I know sorry isn't enough. I loved you, and you had rejected me... and that night I was out of my freaking mind on drugs... It's no excuse, I know it's not... but that's why... I ask myself over and over again, why?" Todd said as he bitterly tried to come to terms with it himself. "It never should have happened... and if I could take it back I would. My God, after that psycho woman Margaret kidnapped me and forced me to have sex with her so she could have my child, I knew then exactly what you went thru. Marty, will you ever forgive me for that night? What do I have to do to make you forgive me?"

"Is there anything at all I can do to make it right between us, Marty? That's what I really want, to make it right. I never meant to hurt you, I swear on my life, I never meant it," Todd said, staring into Marty's eyes.

"Marty, why did you come here? What is it you have have to tell me?" Todd asked.

"I don't know, Todd," Marty said honestly. "It's the kind of thing that just won't go away." She looked away briefly when he asked why she came. "I came because..." she sighed softly as she finally looked at him. "Because I'm pregnant, Todd... It's yours," she said quietly. She didn't know what to do, because she could never give up this baby - but would she have to do this alone? Could she trust Todd after everything?

"I said I would do anything for you, Marty... ANYTHING, and I meant it..." Todd insisted, looking into her eyes and pouring his heart out to her. "I swear to you, I want to be different man for you... a man you can be proud of."

Suddenly then she announced she was pregnant... and it was his baby. Of course it was his. He knew Marty hadn't been with anyone else. Todd felt as though the floor had just exploded, smacking him in the face. A baby... Marty was carrying his baby?

"You're pregnant?" Todd gasped. "Marty, please... I know that the circumstances of which we were together were not what you wanted... I know everything you said after you regained your memory... but please, don't hurt our baby... Marty, you can't make our baby pay for my sins."

"I could never do that to an innocent child, Todd," Marty said softly. "But honestly, your own track record with your kids isn't a glowing achievement. I just worry," she said quietly. "Can you really change? Hmm... I suppose you can, I mean since Blair let you take the boys... for how long anyway?" she asked. "I'm guessing she canceled that restraining order." Marty was completely unaware that Todd's behaviour hadn't changed fully yet.

What could Todd do? He had just promised Marty he would change. He couldn't lie to her now. He wanted her to trust him, so he did the only thing he could. For the first time in his life, Todd Manning told the truth.

"Blair wouldn't let me see my boys, but I missed them so much. I just wanted some time with them, Marty. They're my boys, too," Todd tried to explain. "So, when she was busy with John, I snuck in and I took the boys. But, it's going to be okay, I left a note, she knows the boys are with me."

"I know I shouldn't have took Jack and Sammy, not when Blair had the restraining order against me... but Marty, I love those boys...and they love me, too..." Todd spoke. "I don't want to lose them. And I don't want to lose you either. I want to make a life with you, you and our child. Would you consider that, Marty... a life with me?"

"Oh God!" Blair said she tried to calm down; she knew John had it under control. He was an ex-cop so he could handle this... it would be okay. She had started pacing the length of the floor when her cell phone rang. She left the boys' room, running into the master bedroom to answer it. "Todd, you son of a bitch!" she said, thinking it was him.

"I'm sorry, M'am... I was looking for Miss Blair Cramer?" said a female voice on the other end.

"This is she. Who is this?" Blair demanded.

"I'm a nurse from Llanview Hospital. Your daughter was brought in just now."

"Oh my God! Why? Is Starr okay?" she demanded, not even listening to what the nurse was saying.

Meanwhile while Blair was on the cell phone, John was on the phone with Bo, explaining what had happened to the boys and the note he had found from Todd. Bo promised he would send a couple of cops over to investigate.

Dorian was listening to both John and Blair's conversations at once. She looked like she was about to lose her mind. After John hung up the phone, Dorian once again started flipping out. "John, I think something has happened to Starr... what if - what if Todd has kidnapped her too?"

After Blair completed her cell phone conversation, John wrapped an arm around her. "Baby, what is it?" he asked, seeing Blair's sorrowed expression.

Blair hung up the phone, appearing listless. "St-Starr. Hospital," she said numbly.. Her daughter, who was like her best friend, was in the hospital. She had thought Starr had gone to Buenos Dias with her adopted cousin and when Langston had come home right before she had put the boys to bed Blair had assumed Starr too had gone upstairs to bed. Why hadn't she checked? "We have to...oh God...the boys...Starr...I...what am I going to do?" How could she possibly be in two places at once?

John held Blair close, trying to comfort her as she told him about Starr. "We'll go to the hospital. Dorian will be here when the police come to investigate," John said, taking Blair's hand as he lead her down the stairs. Blair was so upset that John had to practically carry her to the car. It was then he realized that he and Blair had been up nearly all night. He prayed all the way to the hospital that Starr would be alright. Blair's kids felt like his own. He cursed Todd Manning under his breath as they finally arrived at Llanview Hospital.

**_Please review :)_**


	2. A Promise

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the love story of Marty and Todd. It also includes several other characters as well as their storylines. This story will be submitted in several parts and is based off the hit soap One Life to Live, yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story. Not all the parts of this story will contain erotic sex scenes as there is a plot. First and foremost, this story is a romance/drama, not a sex story.

Also, I'd like to note that I do not own ABC's One Life to Live or the characters and I will NOT be receiving any payment whatsoever for writing this story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only.

~~i~~

Marty put her hand to her forehead, "Todd! Blair will put you behind bars for violating that order," she said. "Oh my God..."

"Okay, okay - it's okay," Marty said suddenly. "We can fix this. Todd, listen to me please, I want what's best for our baby but you have to change. I will consider a life with you but only if you return Jack and Sammy to Blair and apologize for what you did. We can work something out with Blair so she'll let you spend time with your boys, okay? But you have to take them back you can't live life like this. I can't trust our child with you if you go on doing things like this."

"I pleaded with her to let me see the boys, but she wouldn't. They're my sons," said Todd, pain in his voice. He listened to what Marty said, and he hoped she was right. If Blair took the boys from him forever, Todd wouldn't be able to stand it. They were his children, too.

"You will help me fight for them?" Todd said hopefully, tentatively reaching out and taking Marty's hand into his. He couldn't believe that she was saying this... that she was considering making a life with him as well as promising to help him fight for partial custody of Sammy and Jack.

"Why would Blair let you and I see the boys, she hates both of us?" Todd said as he held Marty's hand in his, thinking how right it felt in his own. He wanted to hold her, but he didn't want to upset her or move too fast. "Marty, why can't we just go away, you, me, and my boys? I just want to be with you..."

"I will help you," Marty promised him. "She might not like us, but I am friends with John. He'll want what's best for those boys. If we can show Blair you're different she'll have to agree to partial custody. It might take time but we have to right this; we can't run away, Todd. I'm sorry. If you still love me please do this right; do this for your unborn child."

"Make things right and everything will be fine," she said softly.

Todd nodded a little reluctantly when Marty promised to help him. "Okay, we will take the boys back after breakfast in the morning," Todd promised Marty.

"I do still love you, Marty... I've loved you through everything, I am sorry I was such an ass to you. I treated you so badly; you never deserved that. And I will prove to you I will change... I will do it for you and our baby on the way. This time I promise to do everything right. But I need your help, Marty... I need you..." Todd pleaded, laying his head in Marty's lap as he was swept away by emotion, so humbled that this amazing lady had agreed to share his life.

Marty caressed his back gently. "Okay," she agreed. "In the morning after breakfast."

"It's okay; I am here, Todd. I'm staying and I will help you," she promised softly.

"Everything will be okay; things will be good this time. I know they will."

"Okay, Marty... I trust you... and I hope you trust me too," said Todd as Marty tenderly caressed his back. Her touch was so soft, so soothing. "Will you come to bed with me now? I just want to hold you. I will hold you so close; I won't try anything... please let me hold you," Todd pleaded.

Marty took a deep breath. "Alright, only holding," she said. It take time for both of them she knew, but as long as Todd kept his promises it would be good.

"I do trust you," she spoke softly to him. It had for sure been a long night, and they both were in dire need of some rest.

Todd nodded solemnly when Marty insisted that they could sleep together, but only if he agreed to do nothing more than hold her. He took Marty's hand in his and lead her to the bedroom. Once in the bedroom, he began making up the bed with fresh blankets he had brought in from the van. Soon it was nice and cozy. Without saying a word, Todd started stripping himself out of his clothes in the lantern-light. In a moment, he stood there in nothing more than his boxers. He took his t-shirt, handing it to Marty. "It wouldn't be the first time you slept in my t-shirt," he said with a partial smirk. He crawled into the bed, waiting for Marty to join him.

Marty knew he was right about that and she could hardly refuse the shirt. "Funny," she said instead as she turned and changed so she was only wearing his shirt and crawled into the bed and lay down beneath the covers.

Once they were both under the covers, Todd cautiously reached for Marty, pulling her against him. He wrapped an arm around her, holding her against his chest. "I never thought you would be in my arms again," he said softly, looking into her face in the light glow of the moonlight that shone through the window. "I love you, Marty... I always have..."

Marty lay against him. "Life is unpredictable," she said with a smile. "I know there is good in you, Todd, and the more I see that, the more I want to be with you," she told him. "I think we could be real happy together."

"I never thought I would hear those words coming from your lips, Marty, after everything we have been through," Todd said as he tenderly caressed Marty's hair.

"I don't deserve you... but I will do everything in my power to make you happy. I just can't believe it... we are having a baby. This baby, our baby... it's my second chance, our second chance. I'm going to do everything right with this kid... you'll see," Todd promised as he cuddled Marty close.

"Marty, it feels so right holding you this way... you feel so good against me," said Todd as he pulled Marty closer and he could feel her nipples rising through his t-shirt and the bare skin of his chest. Immediately, Todd got hard, but he tried to hide it from Marty. He winced a little, pulling back from her slightly. *This is gonna be a long night* he thought to himself.

Marty smiled. "I'm glad you feel that way, Todd, I do want this to be your chance. This baby needs you," she said, as she lay there against him. "Tomorrow is a big day we should get some rest." She was so glad that Todd was wanting to turn his life around.

Todd felt Marty snuggling against him as he gradually fell asleep. She felt so good in his arms. He slept so well with her scent surrounding him. When he woke up in the morning, he was pleasantly surprised to find Marty Saybrooke in his arms. "It's true, you're real," he whispered, nuzzling his lips against her neck. As she came awake in his arms, he cuddled her close to his chest.

Marty's eyes fluttered open and she looked at him sleepily. "Morning," she said with a smile. She felt content and safe right where she was. It felt nice; it felt good to be starting a life, a good life. If Cole would trust her again and believe in her then life would be absolutely perfect.

Todd grinned as he finally stopped rubbing his lips against the flesh of Marty's neck. He knew they had a lot of mending to do in their relationship but at least they were together and doing everything possible to make new start. Todd slid a hand under the covers, lightly resting his palm on Marty's tummy.

"How's our baby this morning?" he asked her, looking into her eyes and still in awe that they had actually created a child together from that one and only time they had made love when Marty had amnesia.

Marty smiled as she rested her hand on top of his gently as the baby started to kick ferociously." I think..." she said with a laugh. "The baby is definitely doing good."

"What do you think?" she asked with a smile.

"Wow, is that our baby?" Todd gasped, in awe as he felt the strong kick through Marty's flesh. He had an odd look on his face; an expression of total amazement that he and Marty were finally having a child together, after all the hell they had both gone through. "Marty, are you sure? Are you sure you can help me be a better man? Cause I don't want to hurt you again... and I never want to hurt our kid. Every day of my life, I have lived with the torture of the hurt I have caused you... I never, ever want to hurt you again."

Marty smiled. "That is our baby," she said. Then she gently touched Todd's cheek. "I don't want you to hurt me or the baby or anyone again. I will do my best to help you, Todd; I will. I see how your face lights up when you talk about the baby, and I know you want to be a better man."

"I would kill myself before I ever hurt you again, Marty... that's why the night of New Year's Eve I was so willing to take my own life. I couldn't live with the torture of how much I had hurt you. I truly love you... how could I hurt someone so much whom I truly love? Life didn't seem worth living... I had lost you, I had lost my kids, I had lost everything. Why did John save me? I'm his worst enemy," reflected Todd as he held Marty in his arms. "Do you think Blair will really forgive me for taking the kids?"

"Undoubtedly John did it for the kids. I know things have been rough but your kids do love you. I honestly think that if Blair sees a good change in you that she would be willing to forgive you. It might take time. But it'll work out I promise you that," she said softly as she kissed his cheek. "I don't want to see you go on without your kids in your life."

"I wonder what Jack, Starr and Sammy will think about having a little brother or sister," said Todd with a smile on his face. "I'm really not a young man anymore, Marty... I was almost a grandpa not that long ago... And that would have made you a grandma."

"About that baby, Marty... I know I really shouldn't have planned to take that baby from the hospital after Starr gave birth... but that baby was a part of you and I together, a part of both of us... and it broke my heart to think that Starr was going to give that child up. I just wanted that child to be in our life," said Todd as a way to explain the almost-kidnapping he had almost committed of his own grandchild. "I don't always do the right thing... but to be honest, I thought I was doing what was right for us and for that baby."

Todd didn't have a chance to say another word, as suddenly the bedroom door opened, and Sammy came into the room. "Daddy?" the little boy said softly, rubbing his little eyes. "Where is mommy?"

Sammy then looked at Marty, wondering who that pretty lady was that his daddy was lying in bed with. The last thing Sammy remembered, his mommy had been tucking him into bed. Sammy started to cry, cause he didn't know where his mommy had gone.

"Hey, Sammy, it's okay, don't cry," Todd said, standing up and pulling on his blue jeans. He went to his son and took him in his arms.

"But I want my mommy... where is she?" said the three year old.

"We'll call her, okay?" Todd suggested. He looked over at Marty, feeling really bad all the sudden cause his little boy was so upset.

Marty felt bad for Todd when she saw Sammy's tears. "Oh hey, why don't you take Sammy to call his mommy, and I will get dressed and see what there is in the kitchen to make for breakfast, assuming there is stuff to eat?" she said with a smile.

"Okay," said Todd as he smiled at Marty, then carried Sammy into the kitchen so he could retrieve his cell phone.

"Can I call Mommy now?" asked little Sammy. "I miss her."

"Okay," said Todd as he hit Blair's name in his cell phone directory and the call began going through. He then handed the phone to the three year old. Sammy pressed the phone to his ear as he waited for his mother to answer.

After a few minutes, Blair must have answered cause Sammy said, "Mommy, I miss you, I wanna come home..."

Marty had gotten dressed and was in the kitchen now putting together some breakfast. She knew the boys were probably hungry too, so she decided to make some French toast.

The moment the phone had rang, Blair quickly picked it up. John listened intently when he realized that Blair was speaking to Sammy. He hoped and prayed those boys were okay.

"Yeah, Mommy, Jack is here. And we are with Daddy," explained Sammy.

Todd listened to what his son was saying to Blair on the phone. "Hey, Sammy, let me talk to your mommy," Todd said.

"Mommy, Daddy wants to talk to you," said the little boy.

Sammy handed the phone to his dad. "Blair," Todd said when he was given the phone. "I made a mistake. I'm bringing the boys home to you."

"Do you know how worried I was!" Blair exclaimed. "Why would you do that, Todd? I didn't know where the boys were and then Starr got into an accident! And we have to talk when you get here. Because I'm really not happy!"

"Yeah, I've been an ass and I know it, but dammit, Blair, you wouldn't let me see the boys and I-," Todd began after he had listened to Blair yell at him. He then glanced over at Marty, seeing her cook the French toast and he didn't want to scare little Sammy by yelling.

"Blair, I'm sorry. Look, I apologize for scaring you... for scaring the boys. I'm bringing them back to you. But promise you will let me see them again. Promise you will let me be a part of their lives. I love them. I am their father," he spoke in a cool, calm voice.

"Wait a minute... did you just say Starr was in an accident? Is she hurt? What the hell happened?" Todd asked frantically.

"If you start behaving like a human being we can possibly discuss a joint custody situation. I'm not promising you anything. I will be involving lawyers, and I was trying to protect my kids which is why I wouldn't let you see them. You've already hurt them so badly especially Starr. She's fine now; she has some broken ribs, a broken leg and a torn ligament. She never got the chance to tell me exactly what happened because all I could worry about was whether or not the boys were safe."

Todd groaned when he heard what had happened to Starr. As usual, everything always seemed to be his fault. "Dammit Blair, I'm sorry. I will bring the boys back right away. They are both fine. And I'll do whatever you want, just let me have joint custody," Todd pleaded.

Before Todd had a chance to say another word, cops had surrounded the place and the door burst open. "What the-?" Todd exclaimed. He then dropped the phone when he was seized by police.

"Daddy!" Sammy called out, seeing his father being drug off in handcuffs.

"Marty," Todd spoke as he was taken away toward the police car outside.

"Take care of the kids."

"Todd, I'm not making promises!" Blair said into the phone, but there was silence on the other end. "Dammit Todd!" Blair was totally pissed off as she hung up the phone.

"Oh God, please don't hurt him!" Marty begged. "Please!"

She looked to Jack and Sammy who were greatly upset by their father's arrest.

"It's okay," she said softly. "We'll just get you home to Mommy and this will be fixed. It's just a misunderstanding... that's all."

Todd was taken to the jail in Llandview and booked for kidnapping. "This is all a mistake," he tried to explain, but no one would listen. "I need my lawyer!" he screamed out, as he was thrown into a cell and locked up. He started pacing back and forth like a caged animal because all he wanted was to see Marty and his kids right now.

Meanwhile, John saw how hysterical Blair was becoming. His cell phone rang then, and he had to take the call when discovering it was Bo. Come to find out, the police had taken Todd into custody. "Where are the boys?" asked John. John breathed a sigh of relief, hearing that Jack and Sammy were with Marty.

After hanging up with Bo, John said to Blair, "The boys are fine. They are with Marty... and Todd's exactly where he belongs, in jail."

Blair wasn't sure she was that comfortable with that idea but at least they weren't with Todd.

"Good! I hope he stays locked up this time!"

Marty got the boys situated with breakfast, and then from her cell phone she called John. She hoped that she could get him and Blair to understand because Todd hadn't really meant any harm.

"Hey," Todd screamed out. "Don't I get one phone call?" Despite his shouts, no one listened. This enraged Todd and he started cursing both Blair and John.

Meanwhile, John was hugging Blair close to comfort her. "Marty will take good care of the boys... I will give her a call now... and she can bring them home... " John assured her. A moment later, John received the phone call from Marty and he asked her to bring Sammy and Jack back to Llanview. "I hate to ask Marty, but what in the world were you doing at that cabin with Todd Manning?"

"John, it was just a misunderstanding please have the charges dropped, I had talked him into bringing them home when the cops busted in. He just wanted time with his kids, if you had kids would you want to be away from them? He's trying to change. As soon as the boys finish eating breakfast I'll bring them home. I'm with him here because I'm going to have his child and he knows that if he wants to be a part of that baby's life that he has to change, I'm trying to make him a better person. But I need you to talk to Blair, get her to see that he just wants to be allowed to see his boys," Marty said.

John shook his head as he listened to Marty's explanation. "What the fuck?" he gasped, hearing her say she was carrying Todd's child. The thought of that totally blew John's mind. "Marty, you're really asking a lot of me, but I will do my best," he said to her with a heavy sigh. "But not because I believe Manning is actually a changed man, but because I believe those kids deserve to see their father... I'm not doing this for you... and I am definitely not doing it for HIM, but for those kids... okay? Bring them home... and I will do my best with Blair.'

After John finished his conversation with Marty, he turned to Blair. "I talked to Marty... she's bring the boys home right after they finish eating breakfast," John explained. "And she says that everything that happened was a misunderstanding...that Todd only took the boys because he hadn't been allowed to see them. She said that she and Todd are...well, gonna have a kid together, and that Todd is trying to change his ways. I really don't know about that... but I do know that the boys miss their dad, and they really want to see him. Blair, do you think you could relent and let him have some sort of supervised visits or something? Cause Marty has said she will try to help him change... I don't know... you are their mom and it's totally up to you, I just know that its been hard for me to form a relationship with Jack, and I think it's cause he misses his dad so much..."

Blair raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me? Marty The Party girl is going to have Todd's child? How in the hell does she plan on doing that? She can't even take care of her own kid and does she really believe that Todd will take of it?" Blair gasped as she shook her head. "I understand that the boys want to see Todd, but right now I am not sure about leaving them alone around him. Maybe supervised visits, maybe... but I need to think about it some more first." Blair then added, "Whoa! Marty must have fallen and hit her head and gotten amnesia again."

John too look dazed. "Would you consider dropping the charges against Todd then? For the sake of the boys? They have to be so confused right now... torn between their parents, and I don't want them to feel that way..." said John.

Blair sighed. "I don't want that either," she said. "Yes, I'll drop the charges, but I am definitely keeping an eye on him. "I don't fully trust that he wants to change; it's the same song and dance with Todd every time. He's already hurt Starr enough. Jack just doesn't understand right now. But I will drop the charges this time, yet if he pulls some shit again, don't even think about asking me to drop them."

Marty got the boys fed, and cleaned up and ready to go back to Llanview. Once they were all in the car, she headed back towards Llanview. She really hoped that John would have some success with Blair. She knew how Blair could be so it was going to be an extremely difficult task.

John gave Blair a small smile. "As much as I hate to say it, I think you are doing the right thing... at least in this case. We all have to do what's right for these kids... and if Todd is willing to try, I guess for their sake, we ought to give him a chance... but yeah, if he does anything else... Bo is throwing his ass in the slammer and we are throwing away the key. I just hope Marty knows what she's getting herself into ... she's delusional right now..." sighed John, giving Blair a quick kiss on the lips. He then called Bo, announcing to him that Blair was dropping the charges. Bo could hardly believe what he was hearing, but told John they would let Manning go. "Thanks Bo... and sorry for the misunderstanding," said John before hanging up. "I hope Marty knows what she's talking about," John then said to Blair. "Cause if she doesn't, we just let a psycho go free."

The guard came to Todd's cell, opened the door, and said to Todd, "You're free to go."

"What?" Todd said in amazement. "Free to go?" A big grin then came to his face and he said, "Thank you, Marty!"

"Todd's her psycho now," Blair said. "I am tired of putting up with his shit."

"Let her do it," she said with a sigh.

Marty soon arrived at Dorian's residence and got out with the boys and walked up with them to the front door and rang the doorbell.

John went to the door when he and Blair heard the doorbell ring. "Hi Marty," he greeted her. He then ruffled Sammy's hair and gave Jack a smile in which the young boy did not return. Jack immediately went up to his mother and said to her angrily, "Mom, we were having fun with dad. He was going to take us camping... or to Disney Land... or something like that. Why did you have to go and ruin it? I hate it here... and I wanna go live with my dad!" he cried out. He then ran up to his room, an angry glare on his face. John winced, seeing Jack's reaction. He then turned his attention onto Marty, feeling awkward cause he knew that Marty and Blair were not on the best of terms and he hated to have to play the mediator if they started bickering. "Marty, Todd's out of jail. If you really want to help him, you will have his lawyer consult Blair's... then some sort of possible supervised visits could be arranged..." John suggested. "For now though, I suggest you go... Blair and I need to deal with the boys, they've been through a lot... and Starr was recently in an accident, so Blair has a lot on her mind right now."

After leaving the jail, Todd went to his place. He needed to grab a shirt because when he left the cabin in handcuffs, he had been wearing only his blue jeans.

"Hi John. No, I understand...I just wanted to make sure the boys got inside safely. I'll have his lawyer contact Blair's. I hope Starr is okay," she said before she turned to go back to her car. Since Todd was free she called him to find out where he was right now and to let him also know that his lawyer needed to contact Blair's while she was driving.

After Marty left, Sammy went off to play with his toys in the playroom, leaving Blair and John alone to talk. "Damn, I'm sorry about Jack... I don't think he likes me much...but I am trying, Blair, really I am," said John after having seen the way Jack had stormed upstairs.

A grin came to Todd's face when he got Marty's call. He was buttoning up his shirt as he spoke to her. "I'm at my place... and yeah, I figured I would give my lawyer a call. I'm staying clear of Blair for awhile... cause if I saw her now, she'd probably attack me for that stunt I pulled taking the boys. The more I think about it, I guess I could hardly blame her. I need to call Starr at the hospital and make sure she's okay... " said Todd as he slipped the last button into it's hole. "Thanks for getting me off the hook, Marty. I hope you get over here right away... I'm thinking of some way I might possibly repay you..."


	3. Everything for Baby

Author's Note: This is the love story of Marty and Todd. It also includes several other characters as well as their storylines. This story is based off the hit soap One Life to Live, yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story. Not all the parts of this story will contain erotic sex scenes as there is a plot. First and foremost, this story is a romance/drama, not a sex story.

Also, I'd like to note that I do not own ABC's One Life to Live or the characters and I will NOT be receiving any payment whatsoever for writing this story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only.

Please don't forget to review...

*~xx~*

"It wasn't easy," Marty told Todd. "But you're welcome. I dunno what Blair will say, but at least if she has a chance to think about it maybe she will do what's right and let you see the boys."

Then she laughed hearing Todd say he wanted to repay her in some way. "And what might that be?" she asked.

"I'm nearly there," she said while pulling up in the drive.

Todd grinned as he walked into the foyer and heard Marty's car pulling up into the drive. She hadn't been kidding when she said she was nearly there. "Well, all morning long as I sat in that jail cell, all I could think about was that wonderful French toast breakfast you made for me that I did not get to enjoy. I say we go out for lunch together and then maybe do a little shopping. We could get some things for the baby... and you know I'd like to spoil you, too," suggested Todd as he stood in the foyer, waiting for Marty to come walking through the door.

"I am sorry you didn't get the breakfast," Marty said, getting out of the car, then walking up the stairs.

"Yes, lunch would be fabulous... and you're right, the baby does need a few things," she said as she came through the door.

Todd laughed when Marty came through the door and inside his foyer holding the phone while speaking to him. He took the phone from her hand and in the same moment he swept her into his arms, gazing into her eyes. "Hi there," he said, reaching down to give her a soft lingering kiss on the lips. "I can't believe you're really here, back in my house again... back in my life again. It's a dream come true..."

"I am really eager for lunch as well as shopping, but one thing first..." said Todd. "Marty, are you sure... absolutely sure you can forgive me for everything I have done? And I do mean everything... I really need to know..."

Marty laughed and returned his kiss. She looked up at him and smiled. "I am sure. I trust you enough to believe you're changing, so I forgive you for everything. Let's bury the past and forget about it. We have a future now to build together," she said. "Starting with lunch."

Todd stood there in amazement when Marty told him she wanted to bury the past and put it behind them. "I think that might be difficult, cause everything we have been through is still a deep part of both of us... But you know, everything we have been through has bonded us in a way that no one can truly understand. The same event has tortured both of us for nearly 20 years, but in different ways. We will never forget, but we must forgive. Forgiving myself is going to be so hard, Marty... but I must do it... so I can get better and be the man you need and deserve me to be," spoke Todd. "I'm glad that you trust me... but remember, that man that I was 20 years ago is still inside me somewhere... and there are times when rage overtakes me and he wants to come out... making me do bad things, like when I nearly kidnapped my daughter's baby. From the very beginning, I never wanted to be that man. I loved you, and I wanted you, but I had no way of expressing that to you... the only thing I ever knew how to express was anger, power, and hatred. But seeing how I hurt you and becoming a dad, that changed me... it made me want to be a better man."

"I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but if you can't change then this can't happen, Todd. Because this child deserves a good life, and I can't subject a child to that man. I know he's inside somewhere, but if you try hard then I think you can beat him, and he'll just stay there, and not want to come out."

"It's you who gives me hope that I can do this, Marty," said Todd as he took her hand into his and lead her outside to his car. After he helped her inside the vehicle and took a seat at the wheel, he said, "Knowing that you love me despite all my faults, knowing that you can forgive me, it gives me what I need to fight the rage that seethes deep inside me. On New Year's Eve, I had just about lost all hope. I thought we were over... I thought there was no hope for my redemption, so I jumped into that icy water. I nearly took my own life... Now I see that maybe there is a life out there for someone like me." After those words, Todd started the car, and then drove to the mall with Marty by his side, thankful that she had returned to his life once again and that the two of them were about to embark on a journey together that hopefully lead toward happiness.

Marty was glad; she was happy that Todd was all for starting this new life together. "Gosh, there is so much that we need!" Marty laughed, as they were on their way to the mall. "I don't have a list but just thinking of all the things that we need is like so overwhelming!"

"I'm actually looking forward to this whole shopping-for-the-baby thing. I have never been this excited in the past when thinking of a new baby on the way. I think it's cause my other kids are getting older now... and I have missed out on so much with them due to my own stupidity. Things will be different with this kid. I'm going to be a great dad... and give the kid lots of attention. I might even spoil him or her," Todd said enthusiastically as he and Marty left the car and entered the mall. With Marty's hand in his, Todd came across a small shop called Everything for Baby. "Here we go," he said, holding up a little bib that said, "I coo and poo. That's what I do."

"Do you think the baby wants this?" he asked Marty.

Marty couldn't help but laugh at the words on the bib. "It is definitely accurate," she said.

"There should be one that says I drool too," she said with a laugh.

"I think he or she will like it," she said with a smile as she picked up a soft baby blanket.

Todd placed the bib into their shopping basket. He watched as Marty browsed the shop, checking out all the adorable little baby things. Todd looked over a rack of tiny clothes, wondering what they should buy. After all, they were uncertain as of now whether or not they were having a boy or a girl. "I'm not really sure what all we need, so you get the stuff you think the baby's going to need in the very beginning. Later, when we find out the sex, we can come back for more clothes," Todd suggested.

Marty nodded her head. "That's a good idea," she agreed. She picked up other essentials, like bottles and pacifiers and such as well as other neutral items that the baby would need.

Todd saw Marty gather the items for the baby and he too added a few things to the basket. He picked up a small brown teddy bear and a rattle that said "I Love My Mommy." He grinned at Marty, still feeling awe but mostly extreme happiness when he thought of this tiny life they had created together. "What about a crib?" asked Todd. "We could set it up in the extra bedroom... right next to mine... I mean ours..." Todd did hope that Marty intended to move in with him now that they were back together. Recently he had had enough lonely nights to last a lifetime. He missed spending time with Marty and having her be there with him every moment of the day. Surely now, she would want to come stay with him at his place.

Marty smiled at the teddy bear. "Yes, a crib would be good," she said.

"Ours?" she asked with interest.

"I could get used to that," she admitted. "Except I was hoping that Cole would want to move back in with me wherever I decide to move," she admitted.

After a few moments, Todd had found the perfect crib. It was made of solid oak and had a built-in changing table which would come in quite handy. It would look great in the baby's room, whether or not it was a girl or a boy. "Is this crib okay?" Todd asked Marty.

When Marty mentioned Cole's name, a small muscle twitched in Todd's cheek. He did his best to make his expression appear calm and collected, for Marty's sake. "Sure, Cole's welcome to come and stay as well. There's plenty of room. I know he doesn't think much of me, but I will do my best to be civilized to him and make him feel at home, after all, he is your son," spoke Todd, trying his best to be "nice," although decency was something quite foreign to the man most of Llanview regarded as a monster.

Marty sighed softly, "I know neither of you is a fan of the other, but this is his little brother or sister, too, and I just hope that everyone will get along with each other. Though I fear that'll never happen."

"I wouldn't worry about Cole wanting to live with us; he's not exactly speaking to me right now," she said.

Todd told the sales lady that he and Marty would like the oak crib along with the matching dresser and the yellow and cream-colored bumper pads and bedding set featuring adorable teddy bears. The sales lady took Todd's credit card, tallied up all the items, then told Todd and Marty that the crib would be delivered in a couple of days. "Thanks," Todd said to the sales woman, putting his credit card back into his wallet.

As they walked out of Everything for Baby, Todd carried the large bag of baby items for their little one. "I'm sorry that things aren't going so well right now for you and Cole. Now that your memory is back, things should get better. Though I fear he's not going to like the fact that you and I are together," Todd spoke. "I hope you can eventually work things out between the two of you. I know it's stressful right now, knowing he would rather live with Bo and Nora, but in time, hopefully you can make amends with him and he can come over to spend time with his baby brother or sister."

"It won't be easy," she said of Cole. "But I'd like very much for him to welcome this little brother or sister into his life and maybe even one day the two of you will at least be on civil terms."

Taking Marty's hand, Todd then lead her into a jewelry store. At the counter, Todd said to the clerk, "I'd like a locket for the beautiful lady here... Gold and sapphire along with a pair of matching earrings and a bracelet." Todd then turned to Marty and smiled.

"I told you I wanted to spoil you," Todd said as he gazed into Marty's blue eyes. "And I remember how much that locket meant to you that was given to you all those years ago by your Aunt Kiki... You made me go into a burning car to retrieve it after that accident you had with CJ and Jessica, remember? I almost got burned to a crisp that day... but I would have done anything for you. Too bad your Aunt Kiki turned out to be a betraying bitch. I want to make all that up to you, Marty. I know I can't take away all the pain... but I will do anything I can to try."

She was shocked that he remembered that. "Yeah, I loved that locket," she said.

"I still can't believe you did that," she admitted.

After awhile, the clerk came back with the perfect locket.. It was shiny gold and had a heart-shaped locket complete with shiny sapphires adorning the heart's surface. It also included matching sapphire earrings and a bracelet which glittered with tiny diamonds and sapphires. "Here you are, Sir," said the clerk. "That will be..."

Todd stopped her before she could name the price of the jewelry. "We'll take it," Todd spoke, knowing money meant nothing to him as long as he was making Marty happy.

When Marty saw the jewelry she was even more amazed. "Oh my Gosh, it's gorgeous," she said. "Are you sure you want to spend the money?"

A smile came to Todd's face as he handed the jewelry to Marty after he had paid for the items. "Ohhh yeah, I love making you smile," he said when she asked if he really wanted to spend the money. Todd had wealth abounding, even after his ex-wife/attorney, Tea DelGado had ripped into his funds during the recent trial. He had just bought a huge 5 bedroom house with a full basement, a Jacuzzi, and a pool out back. He wasn't hurting for money. Not in the slightest.

Marty smiled as she accepted the jewelry. "Thanks," she said with a smile.

"Right now I am starving. How does lunch sound?" Todd then asked, taking Marty's hand as they left the jewelry store. "Let me guess... I bet you are hungry for pickles and ice cream," he teased her as they neared the food court.

Marty laughed. "Not yet, but I'm sure soon enough I'll be waking you up late at night to get me some crazy things," she teased with a smile as she walked with Todd to the food court.

"And I'll cherish every minute of that," Todd chuckled as the yummy smells of the food court met their nostrils. "Everything looks good," said Todd as they walked up to an Italian food stand. "I think I'll have a salad with everything, two slices of pepperoni pizza with mushroom, bread sticks, and a coke," Todd told the man behind the counter.

Marty raised an eyebrow and laughed. "And which one of us is pregnant again?" she teased. She herself placed an order for a side Caesar salad, some of the baked ziti, and a bottle of water to drink.

Todd burst out laughing when Marty made the "pregnant" comment. He carried their tray over to the table, then took a seat. "I feel like we both are," he said, looking deeply into her eyes as she sat down next to him. "I love you, Marty. I truly do..."

Marty smiled as she rested her hand on top of Todd's as they sat across from each other. "I'm so glad I have you. I love you, too," she said softly. "I truly believe I made the right choice this time."

"We both did," said Todd. "I couldn't have done it without you." Todd picked up his bread stick, dipped it in some sauce, and started munching on it. All the while when he ate, his other hand rested beneath Marty's. He was still in a state of awe that Marty was here with him and they were about to embark on a happy life together. "Do you think I deserve to be happy?" he asked her.

With her free hand, Marty took her fork and took a bite of her salad. She chewed and swallowed, washing it down with water, and then looked at Todd. "Everyone deserves to be happy," she said gently. "If you want it then I know you can do it. It's a matter of what you want."

"I know I want you, Marty... I always have, even when everything seemed so impossible. I know I want our baby, too," Todd spoke. "But I also want my kids. I miss them. It's so hard spending every day without them. And Starr- I know I hurt her so much. I want to make it up to her, but I don't know how. I've really messed things up, haven't I?" Todd ran a hand through his hair as he looked over at Marty, wishing he knew the answers to make everything right again.

Marty listened to Todd speaking and then looked at him. "Yeah you did," she said honestly," But I think it is going to be one of those things that takes time and effort. Once she sees you've changed, she'll change her mind about wanting to spend time with you."

"You're right, it's going to take some time. I will do my best to show everyone I have changed... you, Vicki, my kids, Blair... it won't be easy... Everyone always seems to think the worst of me," Todd said with a sigh. He then resumed eating his meal, the hunger getting the better of him. After he finished his food, he sipped at his coke, watching as Marty too polished away her lunch. "What would you like to do after lunch?" he asked her.

Marty had finished eating and was sipping some water. "Mmmmm... how about a walk?" she asked with a smile. "Just the two of us; no worries, no demands, just enjoying a nice walk?"

"A nice walk sounds great," agreed Todd, a smile on his face. "We can go to the park... and even have a picnic there again, if you like... after our walk?"

"Remember our last picnic there, when I proposed to you?" Todd then asked. "There is something I'd like to talk to you about..."

He laughed softly, then added, "I promise, I'm not going to propose to you again... not for awhile anyway. I understand you are not ready for that kind of a commitment. But after our walk, after we just enjoy the time with each other with no worries or demands, there is something I do need to talk to you about..."

"A walk, a picnic; it all sounds wonderful," she said with a smile.

She then laughed. "I do remember," she said when he mentioned proposing. "I don't think we've gotten that far yet in our start over. Of course after our walk if you need to talk, we can."

Todd beamed when he saw Marty's happy smile. "Okay, let's head back to my place and put our purchases away, then prepare for the picnic," Todd suggested, standing up so he could throw away their trash from their lunch. He then returned to the table, taking Marty's hand into his. She was already about six months pregnant, but she was barely showing at all. Todd marvelled at that, thinking their baby was going to be so incredibly small. It had been years since he had held a tiny baby, not since Jack was an infant as he had lost the first year and half with Sammy due to Margaret's insanity. By the time Todd had gotten custody of his son, Sammy was not quite two. At first he had wondered how he could possibly love a child who had been created from the act of rape, but Sammy was a sweet little boy and everyone who knew him couldn't help but love him. In fact, Blair had agreed to adopt Sammy and loved the little boy like her very own.

"I miss my kids," Todd said as he walked with Marty out of the mall toward his car. "I miss Sammy's laughter... and I even miss Jack smarting off."

Todd laughed softly, thinking about Jack's rude antics. "And I really miss Starr. She and I were so close when she was growing up," Todd said as he helped Marty into the car. He entered the vehicle, started the engine, and then headed toward his house.

Marty smiled gently. "Soon enough you'll be able to spend time with all of them. Starr just needs some time; I know she probably misses you, too. That closeness won't be gone forever. It'll get better you'll see."

Todd nodded when he heard Marty's words. He hoped she was right and he would one day be close with Starr again, just he knew Marty hoped that she would one day regain her relationship with Cole. Their lives were sort of a mess right now, but Todd hoped it wouldn't spoil their day at the park.

Once inside his house, Todd began gathering items for the picnic into a picnic basket. Once he had a jug of iced tea, food, glasses, plates, silverware, and a blanket packed, the two of them were ready to go.

He gave Marty a smile as they walked outside into the sunshine hand in hand. It was a gorgeous day as they strolled to the park together. The park was nearly deserted as the two of them made their way down the pathway leading toward its center.

"So, have you had an ultrasound yet?" Todd asked, curious about how everything was going with the baby.

Marty smiled. "I have!" she said excitedly. "Of course from now on I'd like you to come to appointments with me."

"So far, I don't know the sex of the baby yet, because he or she kept refusing to cooperate," she said with a small laugh.

Todd listened intently when Marty described the ultrasound and seeing their baby on the screen. "I really wish I could have been there," he told her longingly. "And yeah, I wouldn't miss the next one for the world."

By now, they had reached the center of the park. Todd spread out the blanket on the thick green grass, then helped Marty sit down. "Now, we can talk," he said, gazing into her eyes.


	4. Courage

AUTHOR'S NOTE ::: This is the love story of Marty and Todd. It also includes several other characters as well as their storylines. This story will be submitted in several parts and is based off the hit soap One Life to Live, yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story. Not all the parts of this story will contain erotic sex scenes as there is a plot. First and foremost, this story is a romance/drama, not a sex story.

Also, I'd like to note that I do not own ABC's One Life to Live or the characters and I will NOT be receiving any payment whatsoever for writing this story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only.

Please don't forget to REVIEW...

*~O~*

Todd reached into his shirt, withdrawing a long silver chain. There on the chain, a cross glinted in the sunlight. "Remember this?" Todd said, watching for Marty's reaction. It was the cross Marty had given him in Ireland, when he had come to tell her that her little patient, nine-year-old Paloma was dying of Aids and that she needed to get back to the states right away to be at the little girl's side. Thankfully Marty had made it back to the states in time to say goodbye to the precious little girl thanks to Todd. Paloma had died clutching the magical pony called a Pucca that Marty had brought to her from Ireland. Marty and that sweet little girl had given Todd so much courage to do wonderful things. Sadly though, Todd had been mistaken for Patrick, Marty's husband, and he was shot in the back that night. He nearly died. It had taken him a year to return to Blair and Starr...

"You said that this was for courage," said Todd as he held up the cross. "And I am going to need all the courage I can get, Marty..."

"I want to change... but it's not going to be easy," Todd spoke. "I don't know if I can do it... I don't know if I have the courage."

Marty's eyes lit up. "You still have that?" she asked in amazement.

"Yes it is for courage. I know it won't be easy... but I believe that you do have the courage within you, Todd. I've seen another side of you that you don't show often and I know it's there," she said softly.

"I would never get rid of a gift from you, Marty. That cross really meant a lot to me. Even though Blair hated that I would wear it, knowing it had came from you," Todd explained.

"I was thinking, if our baby turns out to be a little girl, would you like to call her Paloma after our little friend we lost all those years ago?" suggested Todd.

"Todd, that is a beautiful suggestion," Marty said softly, as she rested her hand atop his.

"I think it would be the most perfect way to honor our friend," she said softly. "That will be our baby's name if it's a girl."

Todd grinned as he gazed at Marty. They had a beautiful picnic in the park, and they lingered there until it began to get dark. After that, they walked back to Todd's place. "I had a wonderful time today," he said to her as he was cleaning out the picnic basket. Todd then noticed his answering machine was beeping. It was his lawyer, proposing possible supervised visits after having heard for Blair's attorney. Todd turned to Marty after he heard the news, swinging her around in his arms with happiness as he was very eager to see his kids.

*~o~*

The closer Marty was getting to her due date, the more excited she was becoming. Soon they'd be bringing home a beautiful baby together, plus she knew that today was the day Todd would be getting to see his boys and that had to make him very happy.

It appeared that most of Todd's life was finally coming together now. He would soon be spending much-awaited time with his two boys, Sammy and Jack. It had been three LONG months since he had seen them, and he missed them very much. Also, Marty was about a week away from her due date now, so their baby would soon be making an appearance. They still didn't know if they were expecting a boy or a girl, because the baby hadn't cooperated during the ultrasounds. Todd had only laughed, telling Marty that the baby wanted his or her parents to have a pleasant surprise. Todd knew that if he could mend his relationship with his daughter Starr, then life would be almost perfect.

The past three months, Todd had been on his best behavior. There had been no kidnappings, crimes or anything of the sort for him. He spent a great deal of his time at The Sun, working on his newspaper or with Marty, preparing for their little one. The pregnancy had been a rather hard one for her, so the two of them hadn't been allowed to be intimate for well over two months now per doctor's orders. Todd had been driven crazy with desire because he wanted Marty so badly, but he understood the importance of keeping their unborn baby healthy.

Today Todd was in the backyard putting up a trampoline with a net for the boys. He now had everything ready for their visit. He went into the house to see if Marty was prepared yet to go with him to pick them up. "Hey there," he said, slipping his arms around her from behind and kissing her softly on the neck after sweeping her long hair aside. Tenderly his lips moved against the soft flesh of Marty's throat with caressing kisses.

"Hey," Marty said, a smile spreading across her face as she felt his lips on her neck. She had been so incredibly happy these past few months together.

"What time do we have to go pick up the boys?" she inquired. She was sure Todd would have been running for the door if were time to pick up Jack and Sam already.

"Now actually," Todd said when Marty asked when it would be time to pick up Jack and Sammy. "I got the trampoline all set up for them, then realized that time had gotten away from me. We better hurry over there. Blair will turn into a barracuda if I'm even a couple of minutes late."

"Let's get going," Todd urged, taking Marty's hand and leading her to the door. Once they were in the car and headed over to Blair's, Todd groaned as suddenly a heavy rain began to fall.

"Damn, it looks like a terrible thunderstorm," Todd cursed. "I can barely see the road in front of me." Suddenly thunder clashed, and a bolt of lightening hit a nearby tree.

Marty looked worried by the weather. "Maybe we should pull over and call them and say once this stops we'll come get the boys. I don't want any of us getting hurt," she spoke. "Nor do I want them to think you flaked out or are just late for no good reason."

Todd had no choice. He had to pull over. The rain was coming down in sheets and a huge tree limb lay over the road. He couldn't have driven anywhere if he had wanted to. "You're right, I should call Blair," Todd said, reaching for his cell phone. He then cursed, realizing that because of the storm, he could not get a signal. "Fuck!" Todd yelled. "What else can go wrong?"

"Yeah, I'm sure everything will be fine..." Marty's voice trailed off as a contraction hit her.

"Todd," she gasped, doubled over slightly from the contraction. This couldn't be right, could it? Surely in the middle of this rainstorm their baby didn't want to appear!

Another bolt of lightening streaked the sky as Todd threw his cell phone aside. He just wanted to punch something, as he knew Blair would blame him for this, even though he had no control over a thunderstorm. He also thought of Jack and Sammy and how disappointed they both would be if he didn't show up.

He suddenly heard Marty's gasp and he looked over at her, seeing her clearly due to the lightening within the sky. "What is it?" he asked urgently, seeing her clutching her swollen middle as if she was in pain. Todd suddenly went white as he demanded, "Is it the baby?"

Marty nodded her head. "Contractions. Baby," she managed to get out. If her water broke right here she knew she'd be in even more trouble. What were they going to do? They couldn't even get any help.

Sudden images of Jack's birth came to Todd. He and Blair had been in Mexico, Blair had gone into labor, and Todd had delivered Jack right there in their motel room with absolutely no medical assistance. "This can't be happening again," Todd mumbled to himself. Even though he had delivered his son over 11 years ago, he didn't think he could handle this now in the middle of a thunderstorm while stranded here in his car.

"Marty, are we going to make it to the hospital?" Todd asked as he frantically tried to start the car. The doctor had said that once she went into labor, Todd had to get her to the hospital immediately. Twice she had nearly gone into preterm labor with this baby which had caused them both some pretty bad scares and the doctor had said that once labor began again, the baby would be coming fast.

The car sputtered, but refused to start. Todd started smacking the steering wheel, then realized his actions had to be upsetting Marty. He needed to calm down and think.

Taking a deep breath, he turned to Marty and said as calmly as he could, "I can't start the car."

Marty's eyes went wide. "I-I can't have this baby in a car in the thunderstorm! What are we going to do?" she asked as she began to panic. "Oh God, this is not going to be good!"

She couldn't even think. "Oh God, please don't let this be happening," Marty gasped. She willed the baby to stay put even though she knew that it would be coming pretty fast as the doctor had warned they needed to the hospital ASAP after she went into labor.

Seeing that expression on Marty's face, Todd knew he had seen that look before. Hadn't he seen that exact look right before Blair had given birth to Jack? It had been an experience Todd had never wanted to repeat.

"Marty, I really think that for your sake and the baby's, I should help you into the back seat, so you can lie down," Todd suggested, knowing that if he absolutely did have to start delivering this baby, it wasn't possibly happening up here in the front of his car, with the leather bucket seats.

"I know you're scared," Todd said soothingly as he tenderly caressed her cheek. "But I'm here, and I wouldn't let anything happen to you... or our baby. No matter what happens, I promise you, I'm going to handle it."

"I have my 'Courage,' remember?" Todd said as he held up his cross she had given him. He knew Marty was very religious, so those words would get through to her, even if nothing else would. "Our baby is just anxious to meet us, it would seem."

Before she could get anymore freaked out, Todd left the car, then went to her side to help her get settled into the back seat. It wasn't easy, cause the rain pounded down over both of them, making visibility bad. After Marty was lying down in the back seat, Todd too climbed in the back with her. He wasn't about to leave her side when she was in so much pain, even though he had thought about flagging down a car. With visibility being almost zero, no cars had even passed since he had stopped along the side of the road.

"Marty, are you okay?" Todd then asked, noticing she hadn't said anything to him in awhile.

"I'm scared...very scared," Marty said softly. "I trust you, but I'm just scared; we don't have anything here, Todd, if the baby comes. No tools, no care things, and nothing is sterile."

"I know, and to tell you the truth, I'm scared, too. But I've done this before, Marty. Blair and I were in Mexico when she went into labor with Jack and I delivered him myself right there in a motel room. We didn't have anything there either, not really. I wrapped Jack up in a towel..." Todd spoke as those memories came rushing back to him. As he was speaking, Todd was slowly inching up the hem of Marty's summer dress. He had to check to see if the baby was coming, but he really didn't want to do this. He wanted their child to be born in a hospital, with skilled doctors present to care for both her and the baby.

"I can do this again, Marty... if I have to. You and the baby are going to be okay," Todd promised. Because of the storm, it was nearly dark in the car. Only occasional lightening brought flashes of light to the car, making it possible for Todd to see. In a moment, he had Marty's dress pushed up and nearly gasped at what he saw. There was so much blood. There hadn't been this much blood when Jack was born, was there?

Marty's panties were soaked with blood, and Todd struggled to get them off. His hands trembled as he tossed them aside. His eyes widened, seeing the baby's head bulging and about to emerge. "Here we go again," he thought silently wondering if the three of them would make it through this night.

"Okay," Marty managed to get out although she was still terrified. She was nearly shaking and tried to calm down enough to let Todd do what he had to in the dark of the storm. She hated storms, and to her they usually seemed like bad omens. She just hoped this all wouldn't end in some sort of tragedy.

Todd got a sick feeling in his gut when he thought that it had been a night like this one during the Spring Fling, when he and his buddies Powell and Zach had gang raped Marty that fateful and horrible night. As the rain ran down the car windows in torrents, it reminded him of the fish tank in Kevin's dorm room on that night... and the glare of the lightening flashing upon it through the window. Pushing that ugly memory from his mind, Todd turned all his attention onto Marty and what was happening right now this very moment. Although she wasn't visibly pushing, the baby was right there, and it was starting to move down the birth canal all on it's own. It would probably only take a couple of pushes, and their child would be born. "Marty, listen to me," Todd said, making eye contact with her and staring deep into her eyes. "The baby is right there. If you just give a couple of strong pushes, the pain will all be over... and we can see our baby..."

"Okay," Marty said. "I can do that." That was easy right?

She did her best to push, so that the baby could continue it's way out. It hurt though... the pain as well as the contractions.

"That's it," Todd said, laughing softly in relief as Marty was pushing and the baby was coming out easily into his hands. The baby was quite small, so it emerged with only a couple of pushes, going into it's father's waiting hands. Thankfully this birth had been so much easier than Jack's had been and the tiny infant immediately began to cry as soon as it emerged. It was a blessed sound, for Todd knew that the baby's cry meant that the child was going to be alright. "Marty, we have our baby," Todd said happily, wrapping the tiny bundle up in his own shirt though it was slightly damp from the rain. It was better than nothing as Todd didn't want the newborn to get cold.

"Marty?" Todd then spoke, realizing Marty was swimming in and out of consciousness. There was an enormous amount of blood from the birth, and Todd was worried that perhaps Marty had begun to hemorrhage.

Marty could vaguely hear Todd's voice and the sound of a crying baby. Oh thank God, the baby was okay! Before she could form the words, she passed out completely and everything turned to black.

Todd laid the baby on Marty's chest, hoping it was warm enough. The infant continued to cry, reassuring Todd that despite the circumstances surrounding the birth, the newborn was going to be fine. Todd wasn't so sure about Marty. She had gone totally still. "Marty, ohhh God, I can't lose you... Noooooo," Todd said, a total wreck as he wrapped his arms around Marty and began to cry, using his own body heat to warm the newborn baby. Todd sobbed like a lost child, thinking that the woman he loved was dying right here in his arms.

Marty started to slowly fade back in...but just barely. Crying? The baby!

"Our baby," she gasped softly. Why did everything feel so fuzzy and strange? Was there something wrong with her? She couldn't tell.

Todd felt Marty's breath against his skin as she whispered to him. "Our baby's okay," he said to her. "I love you, Marty... I thought I was losing you..."

"Don't die, Marty... I cant live without you, I can't," Todd implored her.


	5. Rage

The past three months, Jack had grown up a lot, but not necessarily for the better. Although he had kept his promise to his mom to try to be nice to John,  
the boy was a walking time-bomb. At any moment he could be set off and possibly become argumentative with his mother and his new stepdad John whom he so clearly despised.

Not long after their camping trip, John had proposed to Blair. Now they were man and wife, but John was disappointed because his oldest stepson disliked him.  
He only hoped that his relationship with the boy could become better after Todd's arranged, supervised visit. With the mediation of Blair and Todd's lawyers, it was decided that Todd could have biweekly overnight visits with the boys as long as Marty was present at all times considering that now Marty was living with Todd. As for Starr, it was decided that since she was nearly 18,  
she would be allowed to see her father at her own discretion.

Both boys up to now had been excited about their visit with Todd. They were in the livingroom watching for their father, and Jack was perched in the window waiting with impatience. Sammy was the less excited one of the two. He was still pretty little and it had been a weeks since he had seen his dad. Sammy was quite fond of John and kind of saw his new step-dad as a father-figure.  
Now as the upcoming visit was less than an hour away, the little boy was feeling somewhat uneasy. "What if I miss you, Mommy?" Sammy asked Blair. He then ran over to John and climbed onto his lap, clinging to him. He looked up at his stepdad with puppy-dog eyes and John couldn't help but feel bad for the little tyke.

"It's only for one night, Sam," John gently reminded.

Meanwhile, Jack grumbled, "My dad's NEVER gonna get here."

Blair was still not comfortable with the idea but she knew how much it meant to Jack to see his father, so she hoped that Todd had changed his ways for the better because she would never let her kids go with him if he was the same old Todd who could harm them.

Blair smiled at Sammy. "If you miss us you can call us up on the phone," she said.

"Jack will keep you so busy, I don't think he'll let you miss us too much,"  
she said, kissing Sammy's cheek. She knew it would be difficult on the little boy now that John had become a stable father figure in his life.

"He should be here soon," she said to Jack, seeing how anxious the boy was. At least she hoped Todd would be here soon and not find some excuse not to show which would be incredibly disappointing to Jack.

Jack started pacing by the window as he waited anxiously for his father.  
After about fifteen minutes, the boy became very upset. As usual, he blamed the frustration he was feeling on his mom and John. "Well, if Dad doesn't show up soon, I know it's your fault, Mom... as well as my new stepfather's. You and John kept me and Sammy away from our dad a very long time, now I guess he just doesn't want us anymore!" Jack said angrily.

"Mommy, is daddy not coming?" Sammy then asked worriedly, hugging John around the neck, then going into his mother's arms. Sammy looked up at Blair, tears filling his little eyes. "If he doesn't come, will Jack run away from home?"

John looked down at his watch, noticing that Todd was only a little bit late.  
"Calm down, boys. I'm sure your dad will be here soon," John tried to assure Jack and Sam. As usual he decided to ignore Jack's outburst, knowing it was probably best if Blair handled it.

"I've had just about enough of you. young man! If your father is late, it HIS fault and no one else's. He was never good at keeping promises and never good with time! So, if you want to be mad, then be mad at him!" Blair said to Jack angrily. She really did hope Todd showed up and had to deal with Jack's rudeness, maybe he'd finally understand how out of control Jack really was.

Blair then spoke to Sammy gently. "Daddy is supposed to call if he's not coming."

"So I dunno," she offered, knowing it didn't sound good. "And no, your brother wont run away because then he'd be homeless and out on the streets."

"I would rather be homeless than live here with you and your dressed-in-black, emo husband!" Jack spat out, running out of the livingroom,  
then stomping up the stairs to his room. Immediately upon hearing his big brother's shouts, Sam burst into tears.

John winced, hearing the boy's harsh words. Blair and Jack always seemed to be at each other's throats, and he really wished there was something he could do about it. "Blair, do you want me to talk to Jack?" John suggested. He didn't want to get in the middle of this, unless he had to... but Jack really was getting terribly out of control.

"Be my guest," Blair said with a sigh as she took Sam from John as she sat down with him.

"Its okay, Sammy," she said soothingly. "It's okay. Jack is just rude."

"Okay, I'll do my best," John promised as he bent down to give Blair a quick kiss on the lips before heading upstairs to speak to Jack.

"I love you, Mommy. You're the bestest Mommy ever," Sammy said to Blair,  
hugging her tightly as she comforted him.

Jack was upstairs, laying on his bed with a scowl on his face. John rapped twice on his door. "Go away," Jack growled.

Meanwhile, Blair hugged Sammy. "I love you too, Sammy," she said softly.  
"Please don't grow up." She liked Sammy just the way he was; she didn't want him to grow up and become corrupted. All the Manning men seemed to be corrupted in one way or another, and it scared her that Sammy wasn't too far behind Jack.

Sammy just gave his mom a little grin, because he didn't really understand what she meant. He then hugged her, settling down in her embrace. He yawned a little, getting sleepy in his mom's loving arms.

Finally, John had presuaded Jack to let him come inside. Grudgingly, Jack sit there listening while John took a seat near the bed and began to speak.  
"Jack, it's quite obvious you don't like me very much... and sometimes I really can't blame you. When your mom and dad split up, you became the man of the house. You took care of your mom, Starr, and Sammy... and you did everything you could to protect them and keep them safe. Now I'm here, I'm looking after your mom and Sam, and things haven't gone so well with your dad, so you haven't been able to see him in awhile. I know you miss him very much. I also know that even though your dad hasn't always made the wisest choices, he loves you as much as you love him. I don't want to take your dad away from you, Jack...  
really I don't. I know I will never be your father... but I want to be your stepdad... and I want to be your friend," John spoke. "Can we at least just try to get along? For the sake of your mom and your little brother."

"Right now your little brother is downstairs crying cause he thinks you might be running away from home. You're his big brother and you need to set a good example for him," John reminded. "Maybe you could just try to think about things and hopefully you will decide to do what is best for everyone in this family. Your mother and I love each other... and we love and care about you and Sammy, too."

"Get out of my room," Jack said in a shout. "Out! Get out!"

With a heavy sigh, John got up and left. After he closed the door, Jack lay down, clutched his pillow, and cried like a small child.

Blair rubbed Sammy's back as she held him. "Getting sleepy?" she asked him.  
She knew today must have been a full day already with so much drama for Sammy.

Sammy didn't say anything, just closed his dark blue eyes and fell fast asleep in his mother's arms. His dark head rested against Blair's chest as he breathed deeply, the sleep of an angel.

John walked back into the livingroom, seeing Blair holding the four-year-old boy. He couldn't help but smile at the sweet picture the two of them made.  
Quietly, he said, "I spoke to Jack and did my absolute best, but I really don't think it did any good. I tried to reason with him, but he just threw me out of his room. I honestly don't know what to do anymore, Blair. I know this is hard on everyone, but I don't want Jack's behavior to start upsetting Sammy."

John then gently reached for Sammy so he could put the little boy down for the night. Unfortunately, it looked like Todd Manning wasn't showing up for visitation with his kids. Once again, Todd was showing he was nothing but a selfish ass.

Blair sighed. "Yeah, it's going to be a tough road," she said as she let John take Sammy to put him down. She could kill Todd for disappointing Jack the most; she didn't understand him.  
He had to have known that Jack would be over the moon about this vistation and overnight-stay and he had flaked out.

*Probably bopping Marty Saybrooke and he lost track of time.* thought Blair.

With the utmost tenderness, John placed Sammy in his bed. He kissed the little boy's cheek, then covered him up with his Mickey Mouse blanket.  
Glancing over at Jack, he saw that the other boy had cried himself to sleep into his pillow. Poor kid, thought John.

Going downstairs, John went to wrap his arms around Blair. "I wanna kill Todd Manning," John muttered as he was holding his lady close. "I saw Jack upstairs and he had cried himself to sleep."

"God!" Blair spit out. "He does this everytime to the them! Jack waits and waits for Todd to come around and he always disappoints him! But Jack doesn't see it like I see it, and I don't know what to do. Todd never calls to say he'll be late or he can't make it... and ... and ... ugggh!"

Looking out the front window, John saw the rain pouring down the window pane.  
"It isn't like Marty not to call... that's what worries me," said John. "If Manning has done anything to her... I will kill him with my bare hands!"

Blair bit back a groan as she looked at John. "Is that your only concern?  
Precious Marty?" She didn't understand what the men in Llanview saw in that woman; she couldn't leave anyone's man alone!

"Whoa!" John gasped out, hearing Blair lose it at the mention of Marty's name. Those two were rivals from way back, and Blair couldn't stand it that John had once been intimate with Marty and continued to think of her as a good friend.

"Of course first and foremost my concern is always with you, the boys, and Starr," John spoke. "But... I do care about Marty. I always have... and I always will. It sickens me that she's in Manning's bed, giving herself to him every night, night after night... He must have completely brainwashed her; I mean, what lady in her right mind would want to bed down with a guy who had raped her?"

"I don't trust Todd Manning... He might have done something to Marty. When I was on my way back downstairs, I tried to call her cell phone, but I didn't get an answer. I have to know if she's okay..."

"Blair, I know you will probably hate me for this... but I have to go looking for her," said John as he went to the desk and retrieved his gun.

"Are you fucking serious?" Blair yelled. "You're going to go off in the rain with your gun to save poor little Marty?"

"You walk out that door. John McBain ... then don't think about walking back into it!" she exclaimed. "You always have to be the one to save Marty! Why don't you let her get herself out of the stupid mess she's gotten herself into!"

"I'm totally fucking serious!" said John as he got the gun ready. "I don't have a good feeling about this, Blair... Marty's in trouble, I can feel it."

Right when he said those words, Starr walked in, and she was totally soaked from the rain. "Starr's here; she can watch the boys. I want you to go with me, Blair. Something is wrong..." John insisted. "After we do this, if you want to kick me out, you can be my guest... but I HAVE to go to Marty. She needs me."

"Absolutely not!" Blair said. "I'm not going anywhere!"

"Marty's fine; she probably just lost track of time because she's busy being Todd's whore," she snapped.

"Alright, Blair, have it your way," John said in a steely voice, sliding his gun into his pocket. He had a scowl on his handsome face as he walked out the door and into the pouring rain. He walked to his car and drove away into the night.

Blair angrily threw a vase of flowers at the door as John walked through it and into the rain. Broken glass, water, and crushed flowers were all over the floor as she slammed the front door after his sorry behind.

John didn't have to go far down the road until he came upon Todd's car on the opposite side of the road along the shoulder. John pulled up next to Todd's car and cautiously got out because it was pitch-dark out, it was still raining and try as he might, he could not see any movement inside the car.

Todd felt Marty's breath against his skin as she whispered to him. "Our baby's okay," he said to her. "I love you, Marty... I thought I was losing you..."

"Don't die, Marty... I cant live without you, I can't," Todd implored her,  
just as the door of the car was thrown open on his side and a loaded gun was pressed against his skull.

All John could see was that Todd was practically on top of Marty and there was blood everywhere. He had no idea that Marty had just given birth. He was seeing red, thinking Todd Manning was brutally raping Marty again.

"Get off of her, you asshole!" John commanded, pushing the end of the gun painfully against Todd's skull.

"I can't...everything seems so fuzzy right now," Marty whimpered.

Then she heard angry voices. "Todd..." she murmured. She could barely move as she tried to reach for him to keep away the crazy man.

*Who is that? Is that a gun!* thought Marty. *Oh God, what is happening?*

Martt reached up to cradle the baby laying on her chest protectively.

"Please..." she implored.

Everything went dark for Todd when John pistol-whipped him, bashing the end of the gun into his skull. He fell onto Marty in the process, nearly smashing the newborn baby, causing the infant to wail noisily. "What in the hell?" John quipped, hearing the baby's cry. He managed to pull Manning off Marty, tossing him carelessly out of the car and onto the roadway outside. That's when John saw the squirming infant lying atop Marty's chest.

"Ohhh my God!" John gasped, seeing that tiny baby as well as all the blood. Todd hadn't been trying to rape Marty; he had been delivering her child.

"Marty, ohhhh God... are you okay?" asked John, as he reached into the car,  
taking both her and the baby into his arms. The rain beat down in torrents as John tried to sheild the baby from its strength.

Once John had Marty safely placed into the car, he went back for Todd. "I should just let a car drive by and run your sorry ass over, but I guess due to the circumstances, I better take you along, too," John said grudgingly as he half-carried, half-drug Todd to the car. Once John had all the passengers inside, he drove away toward Llanview Hosptial. "This woman just had a baby,"  
he said as he carried Marty and the crying infant inside.

Marty was still wavering in and out of consciousness. "Todd," she mumbled.  
She didn't know what was going on and she tried to keep her senses about her to listen for the cries of the baby. She realized she didn't even know if her child was a girl or a boy.

When Todd came too he realized he was in John McBain's car and he was covered in Marty's blood. "McBain!" he growled, reaching up and touching his head.  
His hand came away bloody. At that point, all Todd wanted to do was pound the holy crap out of John, but when he thought of Marty and the baby, he realized first he had to see if both of them were alright.

Stumbling into the hospital, Todd approached the front desk. He looked a sight with hands and body streaked with blood and a head wound dripping down his face. "Where is Marty Saybrooke? I want to see her; NOW!" Todd demanded.

Seeing Todd's condition and knowing of his unsavory past, the receptionist wasn't all too welling to tell Todd anything about Marty or her whereabouts.  
"You better get out of here right now or I'm going to call security," she insisted.

John stood in the hallway as the doctors worked on Marty. The birth had been really bad for her and she needed emergency surgery. After the surgery, John was at her side. She called out for Todd. "No, Marty, it's me... John," he said as her eyes tried to focus on him. "You're at the hospital... and you're going to be alright."

Marty saw John at her bedside. "Todd? The baby?" she asked. She had to know that they were both alright and where they were. Why was John here? She was so confused as she tried to see if Todd was nearby. She began scanning the room for him.

"The baby's fine, Marty. When we arrived at the hospital, a nurse took the baby to the nursery. I'm sure they are just checking the little one over, just to make sure everything is okay. You gave me quite a scare, Marty..." John said as he took her hand and tried to assure her that her baby was perfectly fine.  
A muscle twitched in his jaw as she again asked for Todd and began looking around for him.

"I don't know where Manning is right now..." John said. All the sudden,  
someone grabbed him from behind and threw him up against the wall. John's hand was wrenched from Marty's in the process.

"Give me one good reason not to kill you right now," Todd spat out.

Marty stuggled to sit up. "Todd!" she gasped. "Stop! Please stop!"  
Someone tell me what's going on!"

Marty placed a hand to her now aching head. "Todd, remember what we talked about," she reminded, hoping to get through to him. What had John done? What had happened?  
Or was it Todd who had done something?

Todd continued to beat John's head against the wall again and again as Marty's voice seemed to be coming to him from a distance, begging him not to do it. His rage was getting the better of him as his own blood was falling down into his eyes, stinging them. Having seen John holding Marty's hand after everything John had already done had been too much for Todd. Finally he let John go, and he crumpled to the ground, totally stunned. Todd then turned,  
going immediately to Marty. "Are you okay?" he asked, completely disoriented as he spoke to Marty with concern. "The baby? Where is our baby?" Todd wiped the blood from his eyes as he sunk into the chair beside Marty, totally exhausted from his head wound as well as everything else that had happened.

John sat on the floor awhile, his legs unable to move. His skull hurt where Todd had beaten it against the wall. For a minute, he couldn't even register a thought. He then saw that Manning was sitting next to Marty, and all of Marty's attention was focused on him. With a heavy sigh, John got up and left the room.

"The nurse has the baby, Todd," Marty said.

"Didn't you hear me? Why did you have to do that?" she asked sadly.  
"You promised to try, what happened?"

"I'm fine I think, but we're not talking about me."

Todd was relieved when Marty said the baby was with the nurse and that she was okay, too. But he looked like a whipped puppy when she mentioned that he had broken his promise to her. "Marty, you don't understand," Todd said as he lay his head in his hands. "John pistol-whipped me. He thought I was hurting you in the car... that I was raping you. Before he even knew what was going on, he slammed his gun into my head, and I blacked out. I fell on you... and I fell on our baby. Our child was nearly crushed. When I woke up, I was in John's car outside the hospital... I didn't know where you were... or even if you were alive."

"I was out of my mind with worry for you and our baby," Todd explained. "If you want to think I broke my promise to you tonight because of this... that's fine, I'll go. Security wants to throw me out of the hospital anyway. They think I'm some thug or something..."

Todd got up, slightly dizzy still from his head wound. He didn't really want to go, but he thought he had let Marty down by his display of violence earlier against John. Right as Todd was about to walk out the door, Dr. Michael McBain walked in.

"Todd, what happened to you?" Michael asked, seeing the nasty gash on Todd's head. "That's going to need to be stitched up."

"I'll live," Todd said, sounding defeated.

Turning to his patient, Michael said to Marty, "You're one lucky woman,  
Marty... cause if John McBain hadn't have gotten you to the hospital when you did, you would have bleed to death tonight. The bad news is that you hemmoraged and we had to give you emergency surgery to save your life. Marty,  
you won't be able to have any more future children... But the good news is, you have a very healthy, 5 pound 8 oz baby girl."

"Todd, don't go," Marty said softly.

No more children? That was it? She had been hoping if things worked out with her and Todd that they could have had one more.

"I...please - Thank John for me, Dr. McBain..."

"And Todd please get that stitched up for me," she added softly.

"Marty, you lost a lot of blood tonight. You're going to need a transfusion," explained Dr. McBain. "We checked your blood type... it's really rare, and we don't have any of it on hand."

"I have the same blood type. While you're stitching me up... take the blood from me," spoke Todd.

"Alright, come with me... I'll have a nurse take care of you," Michael said.  
Glancing at Marty, Todd then left the room with Dr. Mc Bain.

A moment later, a nurse walked in, handing a tiny baby girl in a pink blanket to Marty. "Here is your daughter," the nurse said, with a smile. "She's all cleaned up and she wants her mommy." The baby girl, with big blue eyes, looked up at her mother.

Marty held her baby girl her eyes lighting up. "Hi, Paloma. Wait till Daddy comes back;  
he'll be gushing over you. You are so gorgeous," she said softly, looking at the tiny little human in her arms.

About a half hour later, Dr. McBain came back, carrying a couple of bags of fluid containing Todd's blood. He got the bags of blood set up so they could flow directly into Marty for the transfusion. "Ohhh there's that little baby now," he said, smiling down at the adorable baby girl in Marty's arms. "She looks just like you, Marty. She's absolutely precious."

"Uhhhh... Marty, I don't know how to tell you this... but after we got Todd all stitched up and we got the blood for your transfusion, he left the hospital.  
He said there was something he had to do," said Michael a bit awkwardly. He really didn't understand Todd Manning or Marty's attraction to the man, but he hated to hurt Marty by telling her that the father of her newborn child had suddenly left without proper explanation.

After getting six stitches in his head and giving his blood, Todd left the hospital by taxi. He went home and took a shower after disposing of his bloody clothing. He couldn't stand wearing clothes that were caked with Marty's blood. After he got out of the shower, he sat down on the edge of the bed wearing nothing but a towel. Everything Marty had said at the hospital came rushing back to him. He had wanted to kill John McBain tonight... if Marty hadn't have stopped him, he certainly would have. John McBain, his kids'  
stepfather would be dead. He would have someone else's blood on his hands which were already stained with so many crimes. "Marty, I just can't live with this," he said, taking off his cross and laying it down on the bed. He had broken his promise to Marty tonight and he hated himself for it.

"I don't deserve you or our baby," Todd said after he got dressed and walked outside into the night. 


	6. Regret

AUTHOR'S NOTE ::: This is the love story of Marty and Todd. It also includes several other characters as well as their storylines. This story will be submitted in several parts and is based off the hit soap One Life to Live, yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story. Not all the parts of this story will contain erotic sex scenes as there is a plot. First and foremost, this story is a romance/drama, not a sex story.

Also, I'd like to note that I do not own ABC's One Life to Live or the characters and I will NOT be receiving any payment whatsoever for writing this story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only.

Please don't forget to REVIEW...

*~O~*

Hearing Michael's words, Marty looked alarmed. "He didn't give any indication as to where he was going?" Marty asked.

She didn't understand it; Todd had been looking forward to Paloma's birth for months, and now suddenly he was mysteriously MIA. What in the world could have happened? Where could Todd have gone?

"Uhhh... Thank you, Dr. McBain ... for telling me," Marty said quietly. She had absolutely no clue what she should do now.

*Why would you leave us now, Todd? Why?* she silently questioned.

*~O~*

Todd wasn't thinking clearly. His head hurt considerably and he was a little weak from having given his blood. He arrived at the Palace Hotel and asked for room 719, the same room he and Marty had gotten on New Year's Eve night. Sitting beside the fireplace, Todd poured himself a drink. He downed the alcohol in one shot, then wandered up onto the roof. As he stood there,  
staring off the ledge, he could hear Marty's voice and everything that she had said to him that terrible night. He had told him that she would be better off if he would just jump and that she would be happier if he was no longer in her life.  
Right now her words were echoing in his head, making it difficult to think with any sort of clarity.

*~O~*

Meanwhile, back at the hospital, the nurse had returned to check on Marty and baby Paloma. The nurse smiled, seeing that one of the bags of blood had already emptied, and already Marty's color was beginning to return. "Would you like a bottle for your baby... or would you prefer to nurse her yourself?" the nurse asked, seeing that little Paloma appeared to be getting hungry and was making sucking sounds.

"I'll try breastfeeding her," Marty said as she sat up and repositioned Paloma so she could nurse her. The infant drank hungrily as Marty looked down at her beautiful baby.  
Her heart was aching since Todd had just disappeared on her. He had left them... her and Paloma both.

*~O~*

Nora had gotten a call from her friend at the hospital that her dear friend Marty Saybrooke had just given birth to a baby and had gone through emergency surgery. Nora went to the hospital right away to check on Marty and the baby.  
She knew that Marty was living with Todd, and although Nora wasn't a fan of Todd, she still considered herself Marty's good friend. Nora breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that Todd was no where around in the hospital. She really didn't feel like having a confrontation with the infamous ex gang-rapist.

Nora entered Marty's hospital room, seeing Marty lying there in the bed holding a sleeping infant to her breast. "Ohhh Marty, she's just beautiful,"  
Nora said with a happy smile. "Cole has a new baby sister."

Then Nora glanced around the hospital room, a frown on her face. "Marty,  
where is Todd?" she asked.

*~O~*

Meanwhile, at the Palace Hotel, Todd was still lurking on the roof. By now the rain had stopped, yet rivulets of it continued to move down Todd face,  
looking like tears. He longed to cuddle and see Paloma, just as much as he needed to be with Marty, holding her close, too. He left the roof then and returned to room 719.

Warming himself by the fire, Todd sighed deeply, reaching for a piece of paper and a pen. He began writing a note to Marty. Then, his clothes still soaked by the rain, he went to his house and grabbed a couple of things. He called a taxi, and once again, headed over to the hospital.

*~O~*

"Thank you," Marty said, smiling brightly as she let Nora see Paloma. "Her name is Paloma. I hope Cole is going to be excited about this."

Then she frowned. "Todd? I don't know where he has gone. He gave blood for me and then just disappeared. I don't have a way to reach him because I have no idea where he might have gone..."

Nora gazed at the adorable baby who looked a great deal like Marty.  
"Paloma, what a beautiful name," Nora said as she cooed at the baby.

"That's strange," Nora said when Marty stated that Todd was now MIA. "I hope everything is alright. Did something happen tonight? I heard it was John McBain who brought you here to the hospital..."

*~O~*

Todd walked into the hospital and went straight for the nursery. He looked through the window, but he didn't see Paloma. A nurse was looking at him suspiciously, so he hid in the shadows, not wanting to be seen.

*~O~*

Marty sighed, "Tonight was a mess. Todd and I were going to pick up his kids from Blair's as he has vistation rights now. Then it started to rain, so we pulled over. I went into labor and the car wouldn't start. Todd delivered Paloma in the car, and I don't know what happened after that."

"All I remember is Todd getting knocked out and the next thing I knew,  
I was brought here. John was here, and Todd went ballistic, saying John knocked him out ... and now Todd's gone," Marty explained. "I know it doesn't sound good, but really, Nora, Todd's not a bad guy."

"Oh dear God, Marty, thank heavens you and that baby are okay. That sounds just awful,"  
Nora said after Marty described Paloma's birth. "No wonder you barely remember anything... it's a miracle you're even still alive... with all that blood loss,  
then the surgery."

When Marty had said that Todd really wasn't a bad guy, Nora didn't know what to say. Nora did not trust Todd Manning. He had done so many bad things, and every time it even looked like he was trying to change, he would end up doing something totally awful, like kidnapping a child. "Marty, I really don't know what's going on with Todd, but for your sake and the baby's, I do hope he comes back..."

A nurse walked in the room then, reaching for Paloma. "Time for Sleeping Beauty here to go back to the nursery... and remember you need your rest, too," reminded the nurse. She walked out of the room, carrying Paloma in her arms.

"Marty, I should go... but if you need anything, you call me, okay?" Nora said after the nurse had taken Paloma over to the nursery so Marty could get some rest. "I'll tell Cole you had the baby... hopefully I can presuade him to come by and see you ... I know he misses you, he just won't admit it."

Todd was lurking near Marty's hospital room in the shadows down the hall when he saw a nurse walk out, holding the baby. A few minutes later, he showed up at the nursery, wearing hospital scrubs. "Paloma," he said, standing over the baby's isolette.

"Thanks Nora," Marty responded. "I will talk to you tomorrow, and if Cole is agreeable,  
please tell him he can come whenever; I miss him." As Nora left, Marty lay her head down upon her pillow for some much-needed sleep.

*~O~*

Gently Todd reached into the isolette, withdrawing his newborn daughter.  
With sleepy blue eyes, Paloma looked up at Todd. "Hello, Paloma," Todd said in a whisper. "I'm your daddy. And I know your mommy probably won't let you see me now, after what I did tonight. I let her down... and I never meant to do that."

Paloma made a slight fussing noise at being awakened so abruptly, so Todd held her gently against his chest, lightly caressing her back. Looking around the nursery, Todd saw that the nurses were busy with another baby in a separate room, so he edged his way toward the door. Holding Paloma close against him,  
Todd took her into a deserted hospital room, lying her down on the bed. Gently he pulled the blanket away, so he could see his baby girl. She was dressed in a little hospital t-shirt and a tiny diaper. She looked so much like Marty that it made Todd's heart hurt.

Wrapping her up again in the soft baby blanket, Todd cuddled her close. "I love you, Paloma... I'm sorry I messed things up for me, you, and your mommy.  
I really didn't mean it..." he said in a whisper.

Todd then took two snapshots of the baby with his camera. He wanted to keep this memory forever. It might be all he would have of his little girl. Now he had four kids and sadly he couldn't see a single one of them. "Paloma, I gotta take you back... your mommy needs you... I've already hurt her so much. You're the best thing that ever happened to both of us," Todd said as he kissed Paloma's soft fuzzy head.

Weaving his way through the halls, Todd returned to the nursery, putting Paloma back down carefully in the isolette. Once again, no one seemed to be around. "Goodbye,  
Paloma," Todd said sadly as a tear slipped quietly down his face.

A couple of minutes later, he arrived at the front desk of the hospital,  
wearing his usual clothes. "Give these things to Marty Saybrooke," he said,  
handing the receptionist a bag Marty had packed for the hospital a couple of weeks ago for herself and the baby, along with the note he had written earlier.

"Hey, aren't you the guy who was here earlier all covered with blood that I called Security on?" asked the uppity receptionist at the desk.

"Yeah, that would be me..." Todd answered, his voice expressionless. He then turned on his heel and left the hospital. After going back to his place to gather his belongings, he returned then to the Palace Hotel and room 719.

The receptionist at the desk called a nurse in the materity ward to have her pick up the items for Marty. The nurse didn't want to disturb the sleeping mother who had just given birth and gone through major surgery, so she decided to bring the items to Marty the very next morning.

Marty was sleeping peacefully due to exhaustion. What a long day it had been. She had forgotten that she and Todd had never called Blair to let her know why Todd hadn't shown up to pick up Sammy and Jack. It was there at the back of her mind though. She assumed that by now, John had spoken to Blair, letting her know the reason Todd had not arrived.

*~O~*

Morning came as a harsh reminder and Todd wondered if Marty had read his message yet. He got on the phone first thing and called his lawyer. "I want to cancel all further visits with my kids, Jack and Sammy... and I'd like to have my house put in Marty Saybrooke's name. And about my car, it needs a professional cleaning, can you take care of that, too?" Todd asked. His lawyer promised to see to everything, then Todd hung up the phone.

No sooner had he hung up, when his cell was ringing once again. He growled,  
realizing the caller was Tea. "What do you want?" he asked, a muscle twitching in his jaw when he spoke to his former lover and ex-attorney.

"You Todd, I want you... have you and Marty broken up yet?" Tea asked in a fliratious voice. "I told you it's just a matter of time before she dumps you... she always does."

"Tea, I don't want to talk to you," Todd said in a sneer.

"It's just a matter of time before Marty goes running back to John McBain...  
once Blair dumps him, Marty is going to have John ALL to herself," Tea taunted.  
Images of John holding Marty's hand the night before came to Todd and he nearly crushed the phone in his fist.

"Look, Tea... I have to go... don't call me again," Todd said, disconnecting the call.

*~O~*

As soon as Paloma awakened in the nursery, a nurse brought her in to Marty.  
"I think someone is hungry," said the nurse as she placed the baby in Marty's arms.

"Ohhh I almost forgot... someone left this for you here last night," said the nurse as she went to retrieve Marty's overnight bag. She set the bag next to Marty's bed. She then handed Marty a note that had been written by Todd.

"Thank you," Marty said to the nurse, wondering when Todd had dropped off her things.  
He had obviously come to the hospital, but where was he now?

After the nurse left, Marty fed Paloma while reading the letter.

The message read:

Dear Marty,

After last night, I realize I do not have the courage to be the man you need me to be. I tried... I truly did, but it's not going to happen. I love you... and I love our baby, but I guess that in our case, love was never enough.

I won't be there when you and our daughter come home. But I will be speaking to my lawyer, and the house and everything in it, I will put in your name. I want to be able to see Paloma, but I am not sure if that would be what is best for her.

I'm sorry, Marty. I never meant to hurt you. I will regret it for the rest of my life.

Sincerely,  
Todd

Marty sighed. Now what was she going to do? She couldn't raise Paloma alone,  
could she? She had hoped that Todd could change and become a better person, but suddenly he was denying that he could. And he was giving her his house? What? It didn't make a bit of sense to her; it was just so insane.

Marty tried to think. If she wasn't in the hospital this would be so much easier to resolve. When Paloma finished nursing, she looked down at her precious girl. "It might just be me and you, Paloma," she said sadly. "Looks like big brother Cole doesn't want anything to do with us and your Daddy can't seem to handle it."

*~O~*

A couple of hours later Todd's lawyer had delivered Todd his car which had been thoroughly cleaned and was now in working order. "Thanks," said Todd as he took the key. He really liked this lawyer so much better than Tea; at least Remington wasn't always trying to seduce him. Todd couldn't help but laugh at that absolutely absurd thought.

After Remington left, Todd went out to his car. There was no sign of Paloma's birth in the backseat. His car was now as good as new. He cussed the car out then, for all the trouble it had cause him and Marty the night before.  
He then headed over to The Sun, pouring himself into his work.

Todd was sitting at his desk in his office reading over the current manuscript for the paper when the door opened and someone came inside. He looked up,  
seeing it was Tea.

"Tea, what the hell are you doing here?" he gasped, dropping his paper and pencil down on his desk.

"Marty left you, didn't she?" Tea demanded.

"No, for your information, I left her," Todd bit out, standing up so he could throw Tea back out.

As Todd approached, Tea opened her long grey trench coat, showing Todd that underneath she wore nothing. Todd's mouth dropped open when he realized Tea was nude beneath the coat.

"This time I forgot to wear my underwear," said Tea with her infamous sexy giggle.

"Tea, I'm not in the mood. Get the hell out!" Todd insisted.

Tea didn't listen - instead she threw herself at Todd. 


	7. Cruelty

AUTHOR'S NOTE ::: This is the love story of Marty and Todd. It also includes several other characters as well as their storylines. This story will be submitted in several parts and is based off the hit soap One Life to Live, yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story. Not all the parts of this story will contain erotic sex scenes as there is a plot. First and foremost, this story is a romance/drama, not a sex story.  
Also, I'd like to note that I do not own ABC's One Life to Live or the characters and I will NOT be receiving any payment whatsoever for writing this story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only.

Please don't forget to REVIEW...

*~Todd and Marty ::: Chapter Seven~*

Cole arrived at the hospital that morning after Nora presuaded him to go see his mother and new baby sister. He felt very uneasy as he walked into his mom's hospital room. "Mom, it's me. The son you forgot," he said, looking down at the baby who was lying in his mother's arms. He couldn't help but feel little for that newborn baby; he felt little besides jealousy. That baby would get all of his mom's love, and he was sure he would get nothing.

"Mom, the only reason I'm here is because Nora said that Todd Manning is now out of the picture. Is it true? Is Todd really out of your life?" Cole demanded.

Marty looked at her son. "Cole, I..I've been trying to remember you but it's hard," she said softly.

"Yeah, Todd is gone. He chose to leave," she said as she held baby Paloma.

"Do you want to meet your sister?" she asked, hoping that Cole would at least open up to the child. Afterall, baby Paloma was Cole's younger sibling.

Cole looked down at the baby in his mother's arms like she was a two-headed alien or something. "No, Mom. I don't think I really wanna hold her. It would hurt too much, with my own baby girl now dead and buried. Did you think about that before you slept with Todd Manning and produced a child that was so very much related to my own baby girl that died?" Cole said harshly. "In fact,  
I know for sure I DON'T wanna hold her. She looks just like Todd Fucking Manning."

With those words, Cole stormed out of the room and ran smack into Vicki in the hallway,  
Jessica's mother. "Get out of my way!" he growled.

"Cole, stop..." said Vicki. "I need to talk to you." To Cole's great surprise, Vicki proceeded to tell Cole that his baby daughter Hope was in fact alive. It would seem that one of Jessica's alters had taken Hope from the hospital nursery, replacing Cole and Starr's child with Jessica's own stillborn infant daughter.

"My kid is alive and Starr didn't even bother to fucking tell me?" Cole said in a sneer. He then left the hospital, a very angry look on his face.

"Cole, please...!" Marty cried out, but he was gone. She sat there sadly with tears shining in her blue eyes. Why did he have to be so cruel? She was trying so hard to make peace with her son. Cole had grown up in a happy home with Marty and his father Patrick. Marty only wanted the same for Paloma. Not only had Todd deserted the baby, but now Cole, too, and Cole was Paloma's big brother.

Once in his car, Cole shot up on drugs, then headed right over to Dorian's house. He would find out exactly why Starr hadn't told him about his daughter...

*~O~*

Meanwhile, back at The Sun, Todd had been pushed to the floor and a nude,  
horny Tea DelGado was lying on top of him. Todd wasn't made of stone. He couldn't help but be effected.

"Ohhh Todd, is that your cock getting hard? Do you want me to take care of that for you?" Tea crooned.

"I'd rather shoot it off with a gun, than have you touch it," Todd sneered,  
pushing her off of him.

"Todd, what's with all the animosity? This is the first time EVER that I haven't been able to seduce you," Tea pouted, still standing there completely naked despite Todd's repeated rejections of her.

"Think about it, Tea... The woman I LOVE is lying in a hospital bed right now and she just had my baby," Todd bit out.

"You mean, Marty had the baby?" Tea gasped out.

"She did... last night..."

"So why aren't you with her?"

"Because I fucked things up like I always do... will you please just get dressed... or get the fuck out... or something? I can't stand to look at you anymore... and if I have to look at you another moment, I'm bound to jump right off the top of the Palace Hotel again!"

Suddenly in a huff, Tea covered herself. "Fine, be that way... but you know how to reach me... IF you want me," Tea spoke before walking out.

*~O~*

Hours later, fter a long day at the Sun, Todd went back to the Palace Hotel. He checked his cell phone and there weren't any calls, not from Blair, Tea, Starr, or Marty. With a heavy sigh, he got ready for a shower.

Meanwhile, a nurse came into Marty's hospital room, seeing the incredibly sad look on her face.  
She checked Marty's vitals, seeing that Marty's blood pressure was a little low.  
The nurse got worried, so she went quickly to get the doctor. "Is something wrong, Marty?" asked Michael when he saw how pale Marty was. Michael took Marty's pulse but he didn't like what he found.

"Cole was so cruel... and Todd left," Marty said as though in a state of shock. "How can anyone be so cruel? Paloma's his sister...and he...he..."

Seeing the state Marty was now in, the nurse reached for the baby. Paloma protested at being taken from her mother's arms. "Take the baby to the nursery and call Mr. Manning. I think she needs another transfusion," Michael said to the nurse before she left the room with Paloma.

"Marty, listen to me. You lost a hell of a lot of blood last night and after the surgery, we nearly lost you, too," said Dr. McBain. "You need to concentrate on your health and just try to get better."

Marty couldn't register a word coming out of Dr. McBain's mouth; she was feeling miserable. "So cruel. So cruel," she softly repeated.

She didn't hear anything around her, nor was she aware of what the hospital staff were doing.  
She just couldn't fathom Cole's behaviour. His harsh words kept echoing in her head.

Paloma was taken to the nursery and the nurse went to give Todd Manning a call. She tried his house first, but there was no answer. Finally, she reached him on his cell.

Todd had just stepped out of the shower, and he was dripping wet. He grabbed his cell phone, noticing right away that the call was registering from Llanview Hospital. "Marty?" he spoke into the phone.

"Mr. Manning," said the nurse. "You need to get to the hospital right away... there is a problem."

"I'm coming," said Todd, his heart thudding his chest when he thought there might be something wrong with Marty or Paloma.

Todd got in his car and sped to the hospital. "What's going on?" he said,  
when he met the nurse right outside Marty's hospital room.

"Tell me right now, is Marty okay?" Todd insisted of the nurse.  
"Is it Paloma... tell me!"

"Mr Manning, Cole Thornhart was here earlier to see his mother. There were some words exchanged between him and Marty, then when I went to check on her,  
her blood pressure was dangerously low. When Dr. McBain got there, her pulse was erratic. The doctor says we may need to do another transfusion..."

Before the nurse could say another word, Todd burst into Marty's hospital room. "What's going on? Is Marty going to be okay?" he asked Michael as the doctor was standing over Marty's bed.

Michael turned to look at Todd. "Stay here...We need your blood again,"  
said Michael. Then to the nurse, Dr. McBain said, "We need to do a direct transfusion this time. Get that set up right away. I don't like how low her blood pressure has suddenly dropped."

"Marty, can you hear me?" Todd whispered to her, as the nurse started setting everything up to the second transfusion. "I'm here..." he said to her softly as he took a chair next to her bed. He then let out a soft hiss of pain,  
feeling the nurse jab a needle into his arm.

"Sorry, Mr. Manning," said the nurse. "It's vital that we get this transfusion started right away."

Marty still didn't register anything going on around her." Why? Why?  
Why?" she kept saying. She wasn't even aware that Paloma had been removed from her arms and that Todd was sitting next to her, holding her hand.

With his free hand, Todd reached out to caress a lock of Marty's long hair from her face. He frowned, because she didn't seem to know he was there. He then watched as his blood flowed through the tubes and into her body. "Marty,  
what happened? What did Cole say? I'm sorry I wasn't here," he said to her softly as he waited for her to respond.

Todd's blood seemed to be exactly what Marty's body needed as her vitals began to stabilize. "Thank you, Mr. Manning," said the nurse as she removed the needle from Todd's arm and applied a bandage.

Todd ignored the nurse, all of his attention zeroed in on Marty. "Marty, please speak to me," Todd coaxed as the nurse removed the needle from Marty.

Once Marty's vitals started to get back to normal, it took a few minutes for her to come out of her state of shock, and she could hear Todd's voice.

"I thought you were gone, I thought I'd have to raise Paloma alone," she said softly.

Then she sighed. hearing him ask about Cole. "He wasn't nice at all," she said quietly. "He doesn't want anything to do with me or Paloma."

Todd sighed when he heard about Cole's reaction to his new baby sister.  
"I'm sorry, Marty. I know how much it means to you to have a connection to him, afterall he is your son, your firstborn... but he's nearly a man now, and you can't make him have a relationship with you," said Todd, as he knew only too well from his own strained relationship with his own daughter Starr. "He's really messed up right now... Drugs can really fuck up your life, how well I know." He then looked deep into Marty's eyes, cause he was thinking about those drugs he had taken the night of the Spring Fling. That fateful night of Marty's gang-rape.

"A nurse called me here, told me you needed blood again," said Todd, not sure what else to say or if he should leave or what. "Marty, did you get my message?"

"I know," Marty said sadly in regards to Cole.

"I just hoped that once he saw Paloma, that he would want to be her big brother," she said sadly.

"Yeah, I got your message, Todd," she replied dejectedly. "Loud and clear."

"I'm sorry, Marty," Todd said just as sadly. "I never wanted to hurt you..."

"I thought we had a future together; it's all I ever really wanted. But I just can't be the man you want. It's just not me," he said, pain in his voice.  
"You're so full of goodness and light... and look at me, I'm nothing but a monster."

"I don't deserve you... or a single one of my kids..."

Todd didn't get to say another word, because the nurse came in abruptly and interrupted the conversation. "Mr. Manning, excuse me... I need to talk to you a moment in the hallway," she said.

Once they were alone in the hallway, Todd asked, "Yeah? What is it?"

"Dr. McBain can't release Marty until she's fully stabilized, but your daughter is going to be released in the morning," the nurse explained. "You will be here in the morning to pick her up?"

Todd frowned. He hadn't been expecting this. "Yes... yes, I will make arrangements," Todd said with a heavy sigh.

He then returned to Marty's bedside. "Paloma is getting released tomorrow morning," he told her. "But Dr. McBain needs to keep you a few more days..."

"I'll hire a baby nurse, whatever I need to do... but I just wanted to assure you, Marty... Paloma will be fine," Todd promised.

" You'll find someone who's good with kids?" Marty asked worriedly. "Someone who likes babies, right?" She didn't like the thought of hiring anyone to watch Paloma; she wanted to be there to care for her daughter. The thought of a stranger caring for her baby was overwhelming.

"Only the best for Paloma, Marty," Todd promised. "I'll find the best baby-nurse money can buy. And when I'm not working, I'll be there..." Todd's voice trailed off, cause he knew that spending time with the baby would only make him grow more attached to her. Then it would only hurt worse when Marty got better, and they had to go their separate ways.

"I gotta go now. You get better," Todd said, trying not to let Marty see now all this was hurting him. "I'll be here in the morning to pick up Paloma."

Marty nodded "Okay," she said quietly. "Sure, that sounds good." Given the circumstances, she didn't know what else to say or even what she could say. After she got out of the hospital, it looked like it would just be her and Paloma.

*~O~*

The next morning, Todd arrived at the hospital to get his daughter. A nurse helped him get Paloma strapped into a carseat. She looked so tiny and adorable in there that Todd couldn't help but smile. "Okay, kewl... when did she have her last bottle?" Todd asked the nurse.

"Here, you'll need this," said the nurse, handing Todd a small cooler.

"What's this?" Todd asked curiously.

"It's breastmilk... for the baby, for when she gets hungry."

"Breastmilk?" Todd said looking dumbfounded as he stared at the cooler.

"Damn, I hope I don't get it mixed up and add any of it to my morning coffee," he joked.

The nurse looked at Todd, but he just turned on his heel, carseat in hand.  
He stopped by Marty's room, carrying both the carseat and the cooler. He propped the carseat up at the side of Marty's bed. "I thought you might want to say bye to Paloma before we leave. She's going to work with me this morning," Todd told her.

Marty smiled, seeing her darling baby girl. "Thank you," she said to Todd.

"Hi Paloma," Marty spoke to the infant. "You'll be good for your dad, right? Be nice to him, okay?"

Todd laughed softly. "Ahhh she'll be fine," he assured Marty. "Probably just bored out of her little mind when she sees what I do every day at the paper."

"Don't worry about her, Marty... just get better..." Todd said as he gazed into her eyes. "It's been awhile since Jack was a baby and I haven't done too much of this baby-stuff for awhile, considering Sam was two years old when he came to live with me..."

Todd gave Paloma's tiny a head a soft caress, then lay his hand gently upon Marty's. "I thought about what you said last night... and I decided not to get the baby-nurse. I just didn't feel right having someone care for her whom we barely knew," Todd explained.

"Anyway, I got to get going... I'll bring her by to see you when I get off work."

Mary smiled when Todd told her the news. "Thank you, Todd," she said. "It truly means a lot to me that you're going to do this without the help of a nurse."

" I'm sure she'll be interested to see what her daddy does at work," she added with a smile. ":I'll see you both when you bring her by tonight."

*~O~*  
Todd went to work, Paloma in tow. Work wasn't so bad today, with Paloma nearby. He set her carseat near his desk, so he could watch her should she start to cry. Everything was great, until a couple of hours had passed, then Paloma let out a cry. But it wasn't really a cry... it sounded more like a frightening banshee.

Awkwardly, Todd got Paloma unstrapped from the carseat, only to find that her diaper had leaked out, soaking her little outfit. "Ohhh crap," he said,  
swiping all of the papers off his desk so he could change his daughter.

He got out the diapers, wipes, baby powder, a clean outfit, and anything else he might need for the change. Paloma continued to squall, her face turning bright red as Todd did the best he could to change her. "Hey now," he said as he slipped the diaper over her tiny bottom. "Don't go getting mad at me... I'm not the one who peed your pants."

After Paloma had been changed, Todd got a bottle ready for her. Once the bottle was heated correctly, Todd pressed the nipple to his daughter's lips.  
Paloma latched on hungrily. Todd smiled, seeing his daughter drink the bottle.

"Hmmmm... guess I am just about as good as a baby nurse," he said to the baby when he raised her to his shoulder so he could burp her.

After Todd left The Sun, he arrived at the hospital. He was carrying Paloma in his arms wrapped in a baby blanket. "She wants her mommy," said Todd as he carefully handed the infant to Marty. "I don't think she liked her bottle much... she wants the real thing..."

Marty laughed at Todd's remark. "Yeah, it's a bit harder to get them used to a bottle, but when you keep trying, they'll generally take to it," she said, as she held Paloma kissing her forehead softly.

"Was she a good girl?" she asked.

"Yeah, if you call screaming like a banshee and peeing all over my desk good..." Todd joked. "Really though, she was good. She kept me entertained,  
that's for sure. Been a long time since I had a baby around... or even a kid for that matter..."

Looking at Marty lying in the hospital bed, Todd changed the subject. "How about you? Have you been good? You're resting, following Doctor's orders, and getting better, aren't you?" Todd asked.

Marty smiled. "I am being a really good patient and listening to the doctor," Marty promised.

"I'm glad you had a good time with her," she spoke. "I love to see you and her together; it's nice."

Todd didn't know what to say. He only hoped he would survive the next few days, caring for Paloma at the Sun while at the same time doing the best he could not to get too attached to her. Ohhh what the heck... he was already attached! He loved the baby and Marty so much it was killing him...


	8. Anything but Todd

AUTHOR'S NOTE ::: This is the love story of Marty and Todd. It also includes several other characters as well as their storylines. This story will be submitted in several parts and is based off the hit soap One Life to Live, yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story. Not all the parts of this story will contain erotic sex scenes as there is a plot. First and foremost, this story is a romance/drama, not a sex story.

Also, I'd like to note that I do not own ABC's One Life to Live or the characters and I will NOT be receiving any payment whatsoever for writing this story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only.

Please don't forget to REVIEW...

*~John and Blair ::: Chapter Eight~*

(The night of Paloma Manning's birth)

Blair was still furious with John for having left in an attempt to 'save' Marty.  
"Damn him! Damn Todd! Damn ALL men!" Blair screamed as she was sweeping up the broken glass and flowers from the vase which had shattered when she had thrown it at the door.

Blair had just got the glass swept up when the telephone rang. When Blair answered the phone, she heard Vicki on the line. "Blair, you and Starr need to come to the hospital right away," Vicki said urgently.

Vicki's voice was shaking as she made the call, and she hoped that Blair and Starr would arrive at the hospital as soon as possible. After she hung up the phone, Vicki cried.

Blair promised to be there as soon as she could. She grabbed her car keys and her purse then ran upstairs quickly to get Starr. On her way up the stairs, she bumped into Langston and asked her to watch the boys while she had to go out. Langston said she didn't mind at all.  
Then Blair knocked on Starr's door. "Starr, open the door! We have to go!"  
Blair insisted.

"I don't want to go anywhere!" Starr said pitifully.

"Starr, look... just open the door!"

Starr yanked the door open, her face streaked with tears.

"Mom, I've had a really shitty day, okay? Schuy ...ummmmm... Mr. J and I aren't friends anymore. And Cole is being useless when it comes to helping find out what happened to Hope! So just leave me alone!"

"You and... ? Never mind," Blair said, realizing they'd have to revisit that one at a later time. "Starr we gotta go to the hospital. Vicki called."

"What? What's wrong?"

"I don't know, but Langston is watching the boys, so let's go," Blair said quickly and the two of them tore out of the house and drove over to Llanview University Hospital. Starr tried to hide the fact she had been crying as they walked in, wiping away her tears.

Once Blair and Starr entered the hospital, Vicki walked up to them, a grave expression upon her face. "I have to tell the both of you something... and it's not going to be easy to say," Vicki said, trying to find the words to describe this delicate situation.

"Starr... your baby girl... Hope... She isn't dead," Vicki said slowly.  
"She's very much alive and well."

"It's like a miracle... and I want to take you to her tonight," Vicki announced.

Starr glared at her Aunt Vicki and her mother. "This isn't funny! That's a horrible thing to say!" she yelled, fighting more tears.

"I was there in the hospital when my baby died! I just don't understand HOW she died! How can you just stand there and tell me she's alive?"

Starr was flipping out, and it took a lot of energy which she barely had. She crumbled to the floor on her knees, clutching the locket she wore around her neck as the tears fell anew.  
"Why?" she sobbed. "Why can't I get answers? Why can't you all just let her rest in peace?"

Blair looked startled by Vick'is confession and then Starr's outburst.  
"Starr ~ honey, surely Vicki would never be so cruel; she loves you," she said gently, reaching out to caress Starr's hair.

Blair then said to Vicki, "I'm sorry, Vicki... Starr's had a bad day today. Could you please explain to us what you mean?  
Did you find something out about Hope?"

Starr pushed her mother's hand away as she wasn't going to just sit there and listen to everyone tell her lies. She tried to stand up but exhaustion kept her from going far.

"Starr, I would never tell you anything so cruel just to hurt you. I love you so much... and this is tearing me apart. I just didn't know how to tell you..." Vicki said as big tears filled her eyes.

"On the night your baby was born, Jessi's baby was born, too... only her alter Tess was the one that birthed the baby. It turns out the baby was stillborn, and Tess and Jessica's other alter Bess decided to switch the babies.  
I didn't know until tonight, when Jessica suddenly got her memories back.  
Starr, the little girl that my daughter has been raising is in fact your baby girl Hope," Vicki explained. "I'm so sorry, sweetie... I know you must be in so much shock right now... but we had to tell you the truth... That precious baby girl needs her rightful mother."

Starr felt like the room was spinning as she tried to piece together all of this in her head. Her cousin? Jessica, her cousin whom she loved and talked to all the time, had stolen her baby?

"Starr ~ honey, are you okay?" Blair asked, realizing how shocking this must all be to Starr, because it was to her, too.

"Oh Vicki, I'm so sorry about Jessi's baby," Blair said. "This is all just ...wow."

"I stood there and talked to Jessica about Hope...about losing Hope and I told her how much it hurt me! And this whole time she's had my baby! I've been grieving for my daughter who is alive! And Jessica's been living her happy little life with MY baby! And all that time, I had nothing!" Starr spit out. She knew deep in her heart that it wasn't Jessica's fault, but even so, the pain, heartache, and betrayal was unimaginable.

"Starr!" Blair said as she had never seen Starr behave that way before.

"Vicki, I'm sorry. Starr doesn't mean that."

"Yes, I do," Starr said coldly as she rose to her feet and walked down the hallway away from her mom and Vicki.

Blair sighed. "Ohhh my. This is going to be hard."

Vicki's heart was breaking when she heard Starr's words. She really couldn't blame Starr at all for feeling the way she did. Due to Bess's act,  
Starr had lost 9 months of her precious daughter's life. "Ohhh Starr, I'm so sorry... but you haven't lost everything. You have a gorgeous baby girl,"  
Vicki reminded before Starr walked away.

Vicki then turned to Blair, apologizing to her as well, "I am so sorry for everything your family has been through, Blair..."

Starr found an empty room and walked in. Closing the door, she leaned back against it, sobbing. Pulling her cell phone from her pocket, she slid it open and scrolled through the numbers until she got to Schuyler's. The one person she wanted and needed right now she had pushed away, and now she had nowhere to turn with this. She wanted to call him, but she had told him that she wouldn't, and she was sure that even if he did pick up he would hate her now.

~*o*~

"Mom," Natalie spoke up.

Vicki turned, seeing Natalie there in the hallway. Natalie was holding Bree's hand and she had the baby in tow in the stroller. "Natalie," Vicki said, hugging her daughter.

"Mom, I heard everything... is it true?" Natalie asked, tears in her eyes.

"Yes, it is. I'm so sorry, baby, but it is," Vicki said as she hugged Natalie and both of them cried.

Both their eyes then settled on the tiny little girl sitting in the stroller.  
"Then we have to give Chloe...I mean, Hope... back," said Natalie.

Natalie reached into the stroller and took the precious little girl she had thought all this time was her neice into her arms. She carried the 9-month-old down the hallway, then touched Starr lightly on the shoulder. "Starr..." she whispered.

When Starr turned to look at her cousin, Natalie placed the baby into her arms.

Starr felt someone touch her shoulder as she slipped her phone back into her pocket. She turned toward Natalie and the baby was placed in her arms. As Starr held Hope, she couldn't stop the tears that were falling. This was just too hard to process; she had been watching Hope grow up all this time under her cousin's care.

Starr struggled to find the words as baby Hope reached out for the locket around her neck. "Aunt Vicki, Natalie, would you...you like the locket with Chloe's hair in it?" she asked them softly.  
She knew it wouldn't change the fact that they had lost Chloe, but she knew what it felt like to lose a baby now. Even if it had only been for nine months, the locket had brought her some solace and hoped it would for as well her aunt and cousins.

Fresh tears entered Vicki's eyes anew when Starr handed her the locket.  
"Thank you so much, Starr. We'll cherish it always," said Vicki as she clutched the locket close containing the only thing the family had left of her precious granddaughter, Chloe Victoria Brennan. She knew that the next thing she must do is have the stone changed upon the baby's grave. It needed to read her granddaughter's correct name.

Natalie handed Starr the diaper bag containing diapers, a change of clothes,  
and Hope's pacifiers, formula and bottles. "You'll need this..." Natalie said.  
She then went to take Brennan in her arms, because with all the crying going on,  
the little girl was very confused.

"I'm going to take Bree home now," Natalie told Vicki. "It's getting late,  
and she needs to sleep. I have no idea what I will tell her about the baby.  
I'll worry about it tomorrow."

"Okay, dear. Take Bree home. I'm going to stay here at the hospital incase Jessi needs me," Vicki stated.

"And I'm sorry about what I said before," Starr said to her Aunt Vicki.

"Thank you," Starr said softly as she accepted the diaper bag.

"It's okay, Starr. I don't blame you for feeling that way at all," Vicki said, hugging her neice tightly, then tenderly kissing Hope's soft little cheek.  
"It's been a long night, sweetie. Why don't you take your sweet little daughter home now? I will be in touch..."

At that moment, John walked into the hallway, rubbing his aching head. In his disorientation, he ran smack into Blair. "Ohhh imagine meeting you here," he said, looking her up and down. He wasn't even aware that his clothing was sticky with Marty's blood from when he had carried her into the hospital.

He then looked down the hallway, seeing Starr holding a baby that looked very much like Jessi's daughter Chloe. "What's going on here?" he asked, seeing Vicki and Natalie holding each other and crying.

Blair crossed her arms over her chest. "I am here because it concerns MY daughter and her baby. But I don't see how you'd have time for that, right? I mean Marty Saybrooke is the resident damsel in distress! Ohhhh, so did you kill someone for Marty this time?" Blair asked, when she noticed all of the blood.

"What?" John gasped, realizing suddenly that Blair meant that Starr's baby was actually the child Jessica had been raising these past nine months. How could that be? "Starr's baby is Chloe?" he asked in confusion.

He then looked down, seeing the blood all over his clothes. "No, Blair, I didn't kill anyone," he spoke. "This blood is Marty's. I was right... Marty WAS in trouble. She nearly died tonight... and it's all Todd Mannings fault."

"Yes, Chloe is really Hope. There was some sort of mix-up," she said,  
not wanting to go into details. "Look, Marty is a grown woman, John. Really, do you have to run after her every time to help her? Let her deal with Todd; she chose to be with him."

John shook his head in disbelief, watching as Starr was talking to Vicki and Natalie and holding the pretty baby girl. Starr's baby was alive?

"Look, Blair... I have this connection to Marty you will never understand,  
and I'm not even going to try to explain it... because you will automatically assume I am just trying to get into her pants. I'm not. I am committed to you and to your kids. I care about all of you... and I'm sorry I ran off tonight to save Marty. And yeah, you have a point, she chose to be with Todd Manning... I promise you, I am going to stay out of it from now on. If Todd wants to fuck up her life, and she lets him... there is nothing I can do about it; I am done," John swore, looking into Blair's eyes. "Can we just go home now? It's late... and Starr needs her mother right now..."

Starr had said her goodbyes to her aunt and cousin and then left with John and her mom to go home. Once they had reached Dorian's, Langston had million questions, none of which Starr felt like answering. It had been a really long night.

Starr went upstairs with Hope and changed her for bed. Blair found the old baby crib and put it in Starr's room so that Starr could be near her baby girl. Then Blair went to her own bedroom to get changed for bed.

~*o*~

The first thing John did upon coming home is take a long hot shower. It felt great to wash away the blood and grime that had been clinging to his skin.  
The back of his head still ached where Todd had slammed it repeatedly to the wall,  
but it wasn't anything too serious. He came out of the shower, wearing a black towel wrapped around his waist and saw Blair sitting there on the bed in her nightie. "Are Starr and the baby settled down for the night?" John asked, his eyes taking in the sight of Blair in that next-to-nothing nightie. He knew he she was still pissed at him. He could tell it by her eyes.

"Blair, can we kiss and make up?" he then asked her, dropping his towel to the floor.

"Starr and Hope are fine," Blair said as she turned to glare at John.

"And if you think taking me to bed will fix things, you are very wrong," she said defiantly, crossing her arms over her chest. She couldn't help it though; her eyes did take in the site of a naked John Mcbain standing right in front of her.

John was very aware of how Blair was taking in his impressive package.  
He walked over toward the bed, till he was standing about two feet from her.  
"No, I don't think taking you to bed is going to 'fix' things, but it's always helped before... you know neither one of us can deny that," John spoke.  
"Besides I want to show you who it is I really want. I don't want anyone else,  
Blair... only you." With those words, John gently raised Blair's chin, gazing into her eyes.

Blair looked up into his eyes and found herself getting lost in them. "Just me?" she asked.

"Prove it," she challenged. She had to see if John really meant it.  
She was tired of him running off to rescue Marty and leaving her to fend for herself.

Softly John caressed Blair's lower lip with his big thumb. His finger slipped between her lips, lightly caressing. "I can't wait to show you how much I want you, only you," said John, his voice husky and heavy with desire.  
"It's you my cock throbs for... only you..."

He took a step back, so she could see how much he truly wanted her. Already his cock was huge, stiff, and pulsating. "I need to be inside you, Blair,"  
John moaned.

Blair couldn't take her eyes off of John's huge cock. "Mmmm," she said, looking at it hungrily. "Then stop standing there and put it inside of me. It definitely looks like it's ready."

"Yep, it's ready alright," John nodded as he continued to caress Blair's cheek. His hand then slid down her neck, to her chest. Through the silken fabric of her nightie, he cupped a full breast, lightly pinching a nipple.  
"Lay back first... I have other plans for you," commanded sexy John.

Blair let out a moan, feeling him pinching her nipple and laid back as instructed. She was waiting to see what he had up his sleeve as she knew that it would most certainly be something good.

"Everytime we fight, I get hard for you," John admitted as he moved over to the bed where Blair was lying. "You're so sexy when you're angry."

John let out a hot hiss as he reached for Blair's nightie, ripping it right down the middle. His breath got even more ragged, seeing she wore nothing underneath. "My God, Blair, you're so fucking sexy," he breathed harshly.  
Like a hungry animal, John began feasting on Blair's breast.

She let out a passionate moan and raked her fingers through his hair. "Ohhh God! Yes!" she gasped, liking the way his mouth was teasing her. It felt so damn good as she gave herself up to John.

"It's only you I want, Blair... believe that," groaned John as he spread heated kisses down Blair's body. He sipped his way along her skin, toward her tummy. His mouth brushed against her pubic bone and with insistant hands, he opened her long sexy legs. She was incredibly wet, pink and ready for him.  
"Someone must want me, too," he observed, catching the scent of her desire.

Blair smirked. "Yes, I am definitely wet," she murmured.

She could feel every sensuous touch as he parted her legs. "I want you. I really, really want you," she emphasized.

John watched as Blair opened her legs wider for him. "You do, huh?" he asked, raising one eyebrow. "Did our fight earlier get you all turned on,  
too?"

"Were you thinking about how we might make up?" With those words, John ran a finger along the moist seam of Blair's pussy, watching as the feminine lips opened to his touch. She was so wet, her juices clung to him. With a hard thrust, he slid his finger deep inside her.

"Maybe it did. I always love making up with you," she responded.  
"Make up sex is always better than anything else."

John worked his big finger in and out of Blair as her words enticed him further. He bent down on the bed, inches from her wet slit. "I can't wait to taste you," he said as his tongue snaked out, flicking against her aroused clit. He circled his tongue around it, his finger fucking her faster and faster.

Moaning, Blair raised her hips to meet his thrusting finger while she arched her body right up off the bed. "Oh God, John! Yessssss... faster," she breathed, loving the way that he was fingering her.

"Mmmm... you like that, do you?" John said to Blair in a husky voice. He slid two more fingers inside her while licking her hard little clit. He bit it softly with his teeth, fucking her harder and harder. He stopped his wicked licking then to ask Blair, "It's you I want... don't you know that? Only you..."

Blair looked at him, her gaze full of lust. "Show me, John. Show me that you want me and only me," she told him. She had to admit she liked the fact John was in her bed and not Marty's.

John was ready and willing. When Blair commanded he show her, he couldn't wait another second. He straddled Blair on the bed and began to slide his cock toward her opening. His huge tip inched toward her center. He could feel her warm honey touch his velvetty cock-head as he pressed it against her slit.

Blair moaned in pleasure. "YESSSSSS!" she begged. "Put it in all the way in!"  
She wanted to feel him fill her up to capacity, and she wanted to feel him thrusting deep inside of her.

Harder and faster, John pounded his way into Blair, showing her with his rigid cock just how much he wanted her. "I'm going to cum..." he groaned,  
feeling his orgasm so near. "Where do you want my sperm?"

"Right here, right inside," Blair instructed, as she moved her hips. She could feel him pounding harder and faster as she was loving every second of it.

"Oh God! Yes!" Blair cried out.

John couldn't hold back a moment longer. He started spilling hot jets of his semen deep inside of Blair. He shuddered, flexing his hips as he came. He then looked down at Blair, hoping she had reached orgasm at the same time as he had. He kissed her on the lips as he withdrew from her snug heat.

~*o*~

Starr had thought Hope was settled until she heard her crying again, so Starr got up and went to the crib. "Hey baby girl," she said, lifting her out of the crib. "What's wrong?" She tried soothing the baby to put her back to sleep. She sang to the child as she tried everything she could think of, but Hope would not stop fussing.

"No dirty diaper," said Starr, right after she checked. "I know you're probably not used to me, but I love you, Hope. It's okay... really," she said, hoping to calm the baby down. When her efforts didn't work, Starr checked the time and assumed her mom and John were probably asleep. As the minutes ticked by, she was getting desperate now as she sat down holding Hope. She reached for her cell phone, sliding it open. She went to her contacts and scrolled through, passing by the people she knew would be no help at all and paused for a moment at Schuyler's name, biting her bottom lip softly.

"Okay, I guess this is my only option... if he hangs up, he hangs up," she said to herself as she finally pressed 'SEND,' holding the phone to her ear while keeping it close to her shoulder, yet still trying to calm down Hope.

Schuyler hadn't been able to sleep after he had dropped Starr off at Dorian's house later that evening. He remembered the passionate moment between himself and Starr, and her tears after he had broken away from their kiss. He kept making growling noises as he was punching his pillow, wishing that things could be different. He then tried to lay down in his bed, but sleep wouldn't come. He missed and wanted Starr so badly. Just then his phone rang. He stared at the clock on his nightstand. It was after 5 AM. "Who could be calling at this time of the morning?" he grumbled as he reached for his phone. "Hello?" he spoke.

Starr's breath caught in her throat, hearing his voice. "Schuy..." she choked out.

"I-I...I know I said I wouldn't call or stop by," she whispered. "But I need you... I didn't mean what I said before."

"I understand though if you chose to hang up on me or tell me to go away, but I really do love you," she admitted. *Please don't let him hang up on me now,* Starr was thinking because Hope was still fussing and Starr was at such a loss right now.

Schuyler gripped the phone tightly, hearing Starr say that she needed him and loved him. That was the first time he had heard those words from her lips, and it made his heart do a flip-flop. "I love you, too, Starr, truly I do... and I'm so sorry about earlier tonight..." he said, then his voice cut off because he kept hearing the distinct sound of a baby crying in the background. At least it sounded just like a baby.

"Starr, what's going on?" Schuyler asked, totally baffled because he knew Starr's youngest brother was four years old. So who was the baby he heard crying on the phone? Starr sounded frantically upset, and all Schuy wanted to do was to soothe her and make everything better.

"God, I don't even know where to start," Starr responded as once again the tears threatened to spill. "You were right all along, Schuy, Hope has been alive this whole time and right under my nose."

"To make a long story short, the night that Hope was born so was my cousin Jessica's baby daughter Chloe. Well, Chloe was the one who died, and Jessica's alter came and pulled a switch. I just got Hope back tonight," Starr explained. "I know nothing about being a mom or caring for babies, and what little I do know doesn't seem to be helping."

Schuyler listened to Starr in disblief, almost dropping the phone. He was so wide awake now, hearing her words. How could this be? His suspicions had been correct all along, baby Hope was alive and well. "Ohhh Starr, wow... I don't know what to say. Your baby girl is alive," Schuy said happily as it all sunk in. "Why is she crying? Do you think she's sick?"

"I don't know anything about being a mother either," Schuy then added quickly.

He laughed, thinking how absurd that must have sounded. "But I will do everything I can to help you and baby Hope," he promised. "I'll be right over."

Starr couldn't help the small giggle that escaped her lips when Schuyler said he didn't know anything about being a mother. "Thank you," she said, when he told her he'd be right over. After hanging up with Schuyler, she tossed her phone onto her bed and held Hope as she walked back and forth across the floor hoping that her pacing might put the infant to sleep.

She began to worry. What if Schuyler was right and Hope was sick?  
What if it was something bad? What if it was serious? So many worried thoughts began to plague her exhausted mind.

Schuyler pulled up at Dorian's house not long after his phone call with Starr.  
He stood outside, not wanting to knock because it was early morning and he didn't want to awaken the whole house. He looked through a window, but he didn't see anyone there inside. A couple of lights were on upstairs, but all he could see were the figures of a man and a woman who appeared to be making out on a bed.  
"Ohhh myyy God," he gasped, realizing it was Starr's mother and stepdad.

Starr knew Schuyler probably wouldn't ring the doorbell so she decided to go down and wait for him. She kept Hope warm as she carried her baby girl outside, all bundled up, and headed out the front door. Everyone else in the house appeared to be fast asleep.

Schuyler was staring up at the window in shock when Starr came outside. Ohhh good Lord, was John really going down on Starr's mom? Should he even be watching this?  
He then realized that Starr had come outside, carrying baby Hope in her arms.  
"Ohhh there she is," said Schuy, coming over to the two beautiful ladies and giving baby Hope a little kiss on her forehead. He then kissed Starr gently on the lips. "She isn't crying now," observed Schuyler. "Is she okay now?"

"Hey," Starr said softly as she returned his kiss, then looked down at Hope.

"I'm not sure," she admitted. "Why don't you come up with us and we can see?  
Maybe she did tire herself out." Starr led Schuyler into the house and up to her bedroom.

"Okay, sure," said Schuyler when Starr said he should come inside. Once upstairs, he saw her big bed and the crib that had been erected for the baby. Right now, Hope just kept gazing at him, as though wondering who he was. "Can I hold her?" Schuyler asked, thinking she was probably the prettiest baby he had ever seen. And of course she was a little doll; Starr was her mommy.

Starr smiled. "Of course you can," she said as she handed Hope over to Schuyler, so that he could cuddle her. Hope seemed rather calm now, so Starr hoped that meant she was okay. She was just glad that Schuyler was here; she didn't know what she would have done had he not come to the rescue.

Schuyler took Starr's baby in his arms, looking into those wide dark-blue eyes of hers. "She's the most beautiful baby I've ever seen," said Schuy with a grin as little Hope cooed at him. "I think she really likes me. Damn, I wish she were mine..."

He then looked at Starr, realizing what he had said. Would that upset Starr? He hoped it wouldn't because he hadn't meant anything bad by it. He truly did wish this precious baby was his and Starr's little girl. "It is such a miracle you have her back..." he then added.

Starr touched his cheek gently as she gave him a smile. "I think she likes you, too."

"Sometimes I wish she had been yours too, Schuy, because you would have treated me better; you would have helped me find out what really happened that night instead giving me a useless suggestion and then disappearing," Starr admitted while gazing into Shuyler's eyes. "One day it'll be me and you with a baby, a brother or sister for Hope."

Schuyler smiled at Starr's words as he cradled Hope close in his arms. He really did hope her dreams would come true... that someday, he, Starr, and Hope would be a family, with a new baby of their own to complete their lives. "That would be my dream come true," he said to her as he kissed Hope's baby-soft head.  
"I wish we could start making those dreams come true... but we have to wait about 5 more long months..." Although it was killing both of them, Schuyler and Starr had decided to wait till Starr's 18th birthday before they became a couple.

~*In the Wee Hours of the Morning*~

Cole Thornhart revved up the engine as he drove wildly down the road. He pulled up haphazardly at Dorian's, staggering out of the car. Somehow he managed to climb the trellis without killing himself. Soon he was standing on Starr's balcony, looking through the window. Hadn't he done this a dozen times before when he had snuck around to see her so her dad would never know?

"Starr," he said softly, peeking through the window. "Joplin," he then said in an angry sneer, seeing Schuyler there in Starr's bedroom, holding baby Hope.

Starr had her back to the window. "Five months IS a long time," she said softly as she kissed Hope's little cheek.

"We like Schuyler, don't we?" she asked Hope.

"I know before that I said I wanted to wait, but getting Hope back has been a blessing in disguise and I don't ever want to waste another chance,  
especially with you," she said softly. "As soon as I turn eighteen I want to start a family with you. We belong together, Schuy, and we need to complete this family."

"Wow, I really can't wait to get our family started," Schuyler said,  
realizing he had a lot to look forward to. Yeah, five months would be a really long time, but it was all going to be worth the wait. By then, little Hope would be walking, and he planned to ask Starr to marry him. They could get their own little place and have a happy life together.

Suddenly Schuyler was drug out of his daydream of their future when the window of Starr's balcony was broken through by a large potted plant. Shards of glass flew and immediately Schuyler thought to sheild the baby in his arms. When the glass went flying, he kept little Hope safe. The tiny girl began to cry.

"Schuyler Joplin, get your hands off MY daughter!" demanded a drugged-out Cole as he made his way through the broken window into Starr's bedroom. He reached out for Hope, trying to snatch her from Schuyler's arms.

"You're not touching this baby!" Schuyler bit out.

Starr was startled at the sound of breaking glass. She jumped instantly to keep from getting covered in glass as her backside had been turned towards the window. Her first thought had been Hope but she was relieved to see Schuyler shielding the baby. Tiny shards of glass was stuck in Starr's arms and shoulders, but she felt no pain as she whipped around to glare at Cole.

"Get out of my house," she growled. "Hope is my daughter; you were just the sperm donor."

Schuyler noticed immediately that Cole was out of his freakin mind on drugs.  
Since he used to be a user himself, he knew all the signs. "Cole, you really need help," Schuyler said to him in disgust. "Starr and this baby don't need you in their lives. You're totally messed up and all you would do is cause them heartache." Schuy then glanced over at Starr, seeing blood running down one of her arms from the shattered glass. Right away he wanted to pound the holy heck out of Cole as not only had he caused Starr an injury, he could have hurt this precious baby girl in the process.

Ignoring Schuyler's words, Cole turned to Starr. "How dare you say that to me?" he growled, glaring into her face. "I'm the father of your child! She's MY child. And she's coming with me."

He then walked over to Schuyler, punching him in the jaw, not even caring if his flying fist was so close to the baby. Schuyler lost his balance, falling onto the bed. He tried to hold onto little Hope, but when he fell, his arms lost contact with the child. The baby girl screamed when she landed on the carpetted floor with a thud. To Schuyler's horror, Cole, who was totally out of his mind on drugs, started punching him repeatedly in the face.

"Oh my God!" Starr screamed as she rushed to pick up Hope and held her baby protectively.

"Cole, stop it!" she yelled as he was punching Schuyler. Starr tried to make sure not to get blood or glass on Hope who was crying so loudly.

"Oh God!" Starr cried out helplessly. She grabbed Hope's diaper bag, yanked her bedroom door open and went running down the hall. She began to pound on Langston's door.

"Langston, please!" Starr was sobbing.

Langston stumbled to the door, half asleep. "What the fuck, Starr? What time is it? And why are you screaming like crazy person?" Langston demanded.

"Lang, please... here, you have to help," said Starr, quickly giving Hope to Langston.

" Whoa... Starr, stop! What is going on?" Langston questioned.

"I don't really have time to explain right now! Just take her to the hospital and have a doctor look at her. Cole busted in, and he punched Schuyler and Hope fell. Just... PLEASE... I need to know that she's okay... and keep her away from Cole," spoke Starr, shoving the diaper bag at Langston.

"Starr, what the fuck is Mr. J doing in your room at this hour? I can't tell the hospital that!"

"Fucking lie then, Langston! Say Cole hit me then and I was holding Hope!  
Please... I have to get back in there before he kills Schuyler!"

"Starr, you're bleeding!" Langston said urgently then, seeing Starr's arm.

"I don't care! Please... hospital... Go!"

"Okay... okay, I'm going," Langston said, as she grabbed her keys and a pair of terry-cloth pants she could pull on in the car on the way to the hospital. Moments later, she ran out of the house and rushed Hope to the hospital.

After her baby girl was safe, Starr ran back to her bedroom. "COLE, GET OFF HIM NOW!" Starr yelled as she grabbed her biology book and prayed it wouldn't hit Schuyler. She threw the heavy text book at Cole, hitting him square in the backside.

Cole fell to his knees when he was hit in the ass with Starr's biology book.  
Now that Cole was no longer on top of him, Schuy was able to raise up off the bed. He grabbed Cole in a headlock and pushed him down to the floor. "Starr,  
call 911!" Schuyler said urgently, because he knew he couldn't hold the deranged, drugged-up Cole much longer. Cole was incredibly violent, and Schuyler's face had taken the brunt of the attack. His nose was bleeding and his eyes were blackened. He glanced over at Starr, seeing her tear-streaked face as well as her bloody arm. "Cole, you are a jerk and an asshole!" Schuy said as he held Cole to the floor. He couldn't believe that Cole would have put that precious baby in danger. What kind of a father was he? Definitely not a very good one! Cole started screaming obscenities when he discovered he could not break free of Schuyler's hold.

Vicki had been about to leave the hospital after staying with Jessica the night before when she came across Langston entering the building carrying a fussy baby girl. "Ohhh my God, Langston... is that- that Chloe, I mean... Hope?" Vicki asked in alarm.

Vicki then noticed a bruise on the baby's little head. "What happened? Who did this?" Vicki questioned in concern.

Starr was quick to grab her phone and called 911 for help and told them everything. She didn't at that moment care about her bloody arm or the glass that was embedded in it or even the stray pieces she could feel in her shoulder,  
she just hoped the authorities would do something soon. Although they said they'd get someone over as soon as possible, Starr didn't know how long Schuyler could hold Cole down to the floor.

~*o*~

"What the fuck?" John growled, hearing strange sounds coming from across the house. It sounded like a man's voice screaming obscenities.

John jumped up and threw on his pants. Whatever it was, he had to protect the family.

Blair heard the noises too and quickly pulled on her robe and followed John.  
What the hell was going on in her house?

Starr had just gotten off the phone with 911 when John and her mom appeared in her doorway. She hadn't noticed them right away as she had just seen the damage Cole had done to Schyler's face, and she really wanted to kick Cole hard for causing Scuyler's injuries.

Schuyler was relieved when he saw Starr's mother and stepfather come into the room. He gladly allowed John to take control of restraining Cole. He then went to Starr and took her into his arms to comfort her. He didn't even give a damn at that point what her mom and stepdad thought; all he cared about was Starr's well-being.

"Starr, are you okay?" he asked her, tenderly touching her cheek. "Where's Hope... is she alright?"

"Will someone please tell me what the fuck happened here?" demanded John as he held Cole's head to the floor with a booted foot.

"Yeah," Schuyler spoke up. "Baby Hope was fussy, so Starr gave me a call so I could help out. I got here and we calmed the baby... and that's when Cole broke in, breaking the glass in the window. He's out of his freakin mind on drugs!"

"I'm fine," Starr said softly, trying to assure her mother and stepdad. "Hope's with Langston. I don't want Cole anywhere near the two of us."

"But what about you, Schuy? Are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

Blair saw the window and nearly had a heart attack. "You little punk!" she screamed. She was wishing now that she had let Todd destroy him when he had tried before.

"Cole, knocked Hope to the floor," Starr said angrily as she glared at Cole.

Blair grabbed the phone to call the police department. She demanded a restraining order against Cole. While they were putting her through to Bo Buchanan, she looked down at Cole. "If you ever lay a finger on my daughter or my granddaughter again, I will personally deliver your sorry-ass to Todd," she hissed.

"No, not Todd... Anything but Todd!" Cole whined, sounding like a scared little girl when he heard Blair's angry threats.

"Ohhh... believe me I will personally grant Todd permission for this," Blair said with anger. A few moments later, she had finished speaking with Bo regarding the restraining order and then waited with John for the police to arrive.

"I'm going to be okay," Schuy assured Starr. "But we better get you to the hospital," he said when he saw the blood running down her arm.

John nodded, seeing the nasty wound on Starr's arm. "Yes, you get her to the hospital right away. Blair and I will stay here till the police arrive,"  
John said to Schuy.

"Alright," Schuyler said, taking Starr's arm and leading her out to the car.  
Once they arrived at the hospital, they saw Vicki and Langston in the waiting room. Schuy was relieved, seeing Vicki holding a sleeping Hope. Thankfully the baby looked just fine, despite a small bruise on her little head.

~*o*~

Cole was making strange inhuman sounds by the time the cops pulled up. John was surprised that he wasn't foaming at the mouth. John let the cops handcuff Cole and lead him out in the police car while he gave a report to them of the incident. "This boy needs some serious drug rehabillitation," John insisted.  
"He's going to kill someone if he doesn't get some help."

After the cops left with Cole, John began cleaning up the mess in Starr's room. "Baby, call the hospital..." John said to Blair. "Make sure that Starr and the baby are both okay."

Just as he said those words, Jack and Sammy both burst into the room. "Ohhh gosh, what happened here?" Jack exclaimed.

Sammy then saw blood droplets on the floor and started to cry. "Somebody got hurt," he sobbed.

"Alright," Blair had just said to John, but no sooner had she spoke when Jack and Sammy burst into the room.

"Oookay, boys," Blair said, thinking quickly.

"How about... Jack, you take Sam downstairs and I think there is ice cream in the fridge," she said, hoping to distract the boys.

"Come on," she said, ushering the boys out of Starr's room and heading downstairs with them. When she got them downstairs, she placed her call to the hospital.

"Ice cream! Ice cream!" Sammy exclaimed as he ran down the staircase with his big brother. He had totally forgotten all about the blood he had seen on the floor at the mention of his favorite treat.

Jack ran into the kitchen, popped open the freezer and got out a huge tub of chocolate ice cream. He grabbed two huge spoons and handed one to his brother.  
"Dig in!" he said, because he wasn't about to let this chance for ice cream before breakfast go for the world. It wasn't like his mother to allow a treat before a meal, but Jack didn't care as he and Sam started gobbling down the chocolate ice cream.

"Jack, don't eat it all," said Sam as he had the ice cream smeared all over his face.

Meanwhile, upstairs, John had the glass all cleaned up. He swept the carpet to pick up any remaining tiny shards, then got a wet washcloth to clean up the blood. All the while he was cursing Cole.

Once Starr's room was clean and the window was covered with a piece of plywood, John came downstairs to see if Blair had called the hospital yet.

Blair was finishing up with the hospital when John came and found her.  
"Hey," she said. "Everyone is fine."

"I talked to the nurse that was there when Hope was checked and she said another nurse was taking care of Starr."

John nodded, so glad everyone was okay. "Blair, about earlier... I'm so sorry we got interrupted..." he said, drawing her into his arms. His lips moved to hers in a long passionate kiss as he slid a hand into her robe to fondle her. "If I could, I would go back to more," he said as he gazed into her eyes.

In the kitchen, the boys were gorging themselves on the ice cream. They had already eaten half a full tub between them. Suddenly Sammy burped. "My tummy hurts," he whined.

Blair moved her body against John's. "I like the sound of that," she said in a sexy voice.

"But the boys are up... OH MY GOD, I left them to get ice cream; they've probably turned my kitchen upside down!"

John chuckled. "You're probably right. They've probably eaten half the kitchen by now," he said teasingly. "They are growing boys."

"Mommy, my tummy has frog in it," Sammy said to Blair as he wandered out of the kitchen, his face all smeared with chocolate ice cream.

Jack was still in the kitchen, eating what remained of the ice cream. "Now there's more for me," he said as he dug his spoon into the icy treat.

Blair sighed. "Oh dear, I think they have eaten half my kitchen. I'm going to clean up Sammy and see if I can do something about his tummy. Will you check on Jack?" she asked John.

"Sure," said John, watching Blair disappear with Sammy into the bathroom.  
He walked into the kitchen, seeing Jack half-lying on the bar, eating the chocolate ice cream. "What are you doing?" John asked, a half-smirk on his face.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm eating ice cream. Mom said I could," Jack said defensively.

"Don't you think you've had enough now?"

"I suppose," Jack said, grudgingly dropping the spoon. "But don't tell mom how much I ate, okay?"

"I won't tell if you don't," John laughed.

Blair got Sammy cleaned up and did all she could for his tummy. She stayed right beside him as he tried to fall asleep again. Next time she'd be certain to give the boys the ice cream herself.


	9. Reconcilliation

AUTHOR'S NOTE ::: This is the love story of Marty and Todd. It also includes several other characters as well as their storylines. This story will be submitted in several parts and is based off the hit soap One Life to Live, yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story. Not all the parts of this story will contain erotic sex scenes as there is a plot. First and foremost, this story is a romance/drama, not a sex story.

Also, I'd like to note that I do not own ABC's One Life to Live or the characters and I will NOT be receiving any payment whatsoever for writing this story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only.

Please don't forget to REVIEW...

*~John and Blair ::: Chapter Nine~*

Five months had passed since the incident with Cole Thornhart. Considering the circumstances, Cole had been sent to a drug and alcohol rehabiliation center in another state. He was pretty messed up, so he was going to be there awhile.  
After that, he would have to do time for attempted kidnapping, breaking and entering, as well as assault and battery.

John and Blair were enjoying married life, now that he had given up on trying to save Marty all the time. Things had been crazy with Todd, too. Todd's lawyer at first called, saying Todd didn't want to see the boys, but then later,  
Todd apparantly changed his mind. The boys had been going over to see Todd every other weekend, and Jack's behavior improved dramatically after spending time with his dad. Now Jack was going through that awkward pre-teen stage, and he was becoming interested in girls. All the time he was talking about stripper ladies, and once John had even found a nudie magazine in his bedroom.

Sam was the same sweet little boy. He had started kindergarten and he loved it. Everyone at school loved him and he had lots of friends. One day John came home and he had a surprise for Blair and the boys. "Hey everyone!" he called out.

Sammy came running, hugging John with excitement. He then pulled back,  
hearing a yelping sound. "What is that?" Sam asked.

"Look," said John, pulling a tiny puppy from his coat.

Blair watched John with the kids and waited to see their reaction to the puppy.  
They had always wanted some sort of pet for the longest time. She had been holding off till they were older and could show more responsibility.  
Jack seemed more mature now, so maybe it was good time to see if they could handle caring for a pet of their very own.

"Ohhh wow, it's a puppy!" Sam said, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

"A puppy!" Jack exclaimed. "Can I hold him?"

"Sure," said John, as he handed Jack the little bundle of fur. "I got him at the pet store today... and he's a new pet for all of us... but we all have to chip in and take care of him."

"Can we name him Mickey Mouse?" asked Sammy.

"What do you think, Jack?" Blair asked. "Do you think he looks like a Mickey Mouse?" She wanted the two boys to settle on a name so there would be no fighting about it.

Jack couldn't help but laugh when he heard Sam's suggestion for the puppy's name. "How about we all just call him Mickey then?" Jack suggested. "Since he's not really a mouse."

"Okay!" Sam said in approval.

The puppy started licking Jack's face. "Ewwww, he kissed me," Jack said,  
handing the puppy to Blair.

John chuckled. "Well, that's what puppies do," John said. "And they pee on you too, if you forget to take them outside to go potty."

"I don't want him to pee on me!" Jack exclaimed.

Blair laughed, taking Mickey from Jack. "We should probably get Mickey settled in, then we can show you what to do when you take him out," she suggested, so that Jack would understand.

"Yep," John said when Blair stated she would show the boys how to take the puppy out to potty. "And I got some supplies for him in the car... puppy toys,  
a dog bed, food, a bowl, everything he's going to need."

"I want him to sleep with me," Sammy said in a sad little voice.

"He's too small... you might roll over and squish him," John said to Sammy.  
"Besides, Dorian would have a fit if we let him get on the furniture."

"I hope he doesn't pee on Aunt Dorian!" Jack then exclaimed.

Blair laughed, picturing Dorian's reaction if that should happen. Then, putting on a straight-face, she said, "Ohhh yeah, your Aunt Dorian would not like that at all."

"Okay, come on, boys," she said, holding the puppy and leading Jack and Sam outdoors.

"Since Mickey is still a pup you'll have to watch him at all times when you take him out as he might try to wander into the street or something and that's not good. He's just a baby," Blair reminded.  
Once outside she set the puppy down, keeping her eye on him incase he decided to go too far.

The men of the family joined Blair outside when she took the puppy out to do his business. At first Mickey sniffed around the yard, then he lifted his little furry leg and peed all over Dorian's prize tulips. "Whoa!" Jack gasped when he saw what Mickey had done. "Don't anyone ever tell her!"

John chuckled, then went to his car to get the puppy supplies. When he returned, he saw Sammy bent down on the grass, rolling around with Mickey.  
"Look, Mommy... he loves me too!" Sammy said happily as the puppy jumped on him.

"Oh boy," Blair spoke. "Yeah, we need to work on keeping Mickey away from the tulips. "If Dorian catches him doing that, it's not gonna be pretty." Then she smiled,  
watching Sammy play with Mickey.

John took the puppy's things into the house and got them all set up, then came back out to see both the boys now rolling around in the yard playing with Mickey. He walked over to Blair and took her into his embrace. "It's nice to see the boys having so much fun," he said as he held Blair close. "And it's great to see Jack smilling again."

Blair smiled as she leaned back against John's chest. "Yeah, it really is," she admitted.

"I know its been rough but I'm glad to see him at least starting to adjust. I just want everyone to be happy," she said. "Especially the kids...though I guess Starr's not a kid anymore, huh?"

"Yeah, Starr's not a kid anymore. She's a young woman. And it's good to see her so happy with Schuy. He's a great guy... and Hope has been like the icing on the cake," John said as he placed a kiss upon Blair's lips. "I'm happy, too. There's something I've been meaning to ask you though... I just haven't been able to find the words."

Blair smiled at her husband. "I am glad to see Starr happy, too... and glad that she has Hope back," she said, returning John's kiss. Then, hearing his words, she looked at him curiously. "What did you want to ask?"

"It's about us... just you and me," John said as he wrapped his arms tight around Blair. "First of all, I was kind of thinking about you and I getting our own place. I know how you love your aunt... but this place can be a zoo at times, you, me, the kids, Dorian, Starr, Hope, Langston... and I think it's time we consider finding a place that's just perfect for us as a family. I'd like to go house-hunting."

"And you know I love being a stepdad to your children. They bring so much joy to our lives..." John said, watching the boys play with the new puppy.  
"But I've been thinking... I want a little person to call me "dad." Would you consider adopting a child together, a little person to complete our family?"

"That sounds fantastic; all of it," she said, kissing John. "Though convincing Jack and Sammy about a new house may be a little tough. We can give it a shot though."

"If we do decide to adopt, I think we should get a girl to even the score out,"  
she teased.

"I was hoping you would say that!" John said as his smile widened. "I definitely want a little girl. You talk to the boys about getting a new house... and I will go contact the adoption agency about adopting a baby girl.  
Maybe they have someone who is close to giving birth soon to a baby girl. And as soon as the baby arrives here, we could become the baby's parents. That would give us some time to prepare the boys and get a room set up for our new daughter." John's grin widened, liking the sound of "our new daughter."

"Yes, I think I can handle that," she said as she kissed John again softly.

"I'm very much looking forward to this," she admitted. She thought would be nice having a new baby in the house once again. Sam had grown up so much these past few months.

"I'm glad, Blair; I just can't wait to become a daddy. You talk to the boys,  
and I'll go make that call," John said, giving her a soft kiss on the lips. He then disappeared into the house to make that phone call. While he was on the phone, he also called the real estate office, asking about any possible houses on the market.

Blair went over to the boys. "Hey, guys," she said. ":I wanted to talk to you for a minute. I got some news and I'm hoping that you might like it."

Sammy looked up at his mother. "What is it, Mommy?" he asked.

"Yeah, what could be more fun than a puppy?" wondered Jack.

"Well, you know how you two keep insisting you need your own rooms and there isn't that kind of space in Aunt Dorian's house right now?" she asked the boys.  
It had mostly been Jack who was insisting that he needed his own room.

"Yeah, I really need a room of my own, Mom," Jack stated.

"Me too," said Sammy. "Are we moving?"

John made his phone calls and got great news. He then went outside to see how Blair was progressing in her conversation with the boys.

John came over to Blair and took her into his embrace again. "The real estate office says there are couple of houses just the right size for us, if we wanna take a look," he told her.

"We'd like to move. How would you boys feel about that?" she asked after John spoke. "We could all go and check out the house that John was talking about. I bet it has a nice yard too for Mickey and you to play in."

Sammy jumped up and down when he heard the news. "I wanna move!" he announced.

"Yeah, that would be great," agreed Jack. "If I get my own room, can I have girls over?"

John just smirked, waiting for Blair to handle that one.

Blair choked out, "NO! ABSOLUTELY NO GIRLS ALLOWED!" Oh God, her son was growing up a lot faster than she had thought. It was one thing for him to be curious about girls but now he wanted them up in his room.

Jack looked crushed. "But Mom... I like girls... I really really do," Jack spoke. "And there's this girl I like at school. Her name is Cyndi. She said I'm really mature for 12. If I bring her over and you meet her, do you think I could take her on a date?"

"Jack, you are bit too young for dating," John spoke up. "But maybe if it's okay with your mom, we could take you and Cyndi to see a movie, but only if your mom and I get to chaperone."

"Really?" Jack said with excitement. "Ohhh Mom, could I? Could I?"

Blair didnt want her baby boy growing up so soon. If Jack was already growing up then that meant Sammy would be growing up faster than she could blink.

"We'll see... maybe a Saturday or something," she suggested. When had Jack started crushing on girls?

"Kewl," said Jack. "I can't wait."

Then he said to Sammy, "Come on, Sam... Let's take Mickey inside and show him the upstairs."

"Okay," Sammy said as he picked up Mickey and followed his big brother inside.

Once they were alone, John gave Blair a squeeze. "I found us a baby girl,"  
he said. "The baby is due anytime. They had another couple who was going to adopt the child... but they mysteriously died. Looks like we are going to be parents soon."

Blair found that slightly morbid and couldn't help the chill that ran down her spine. How did two people just die mysteriously? Weird. But she focused her attention on John. "We didn't exactly prepare the boys for their new sister. Do you think they'll be okay with it?"

"It's okay; we'll tell them all about the new baby tonight. And they also have a new baby over at their dad's house," John reminded. "I am sure everything will be fine. Do you still have any of Sammy's old baby things... or should we do some shopping? After all, this baby is going to be a little girl..."

"And since the baby is due anytime, should we start thinking of some names?"  
John asked excitedly.

"It's been awhile since I've had baby girl stuff in the house, so I think we may have to go and get some new items," Blair said. She didn't know how the boys felt about their new sister at Todd and Marty's. The boys never talked about it.

"Okay, we'll talk to the boys tonight then... and we'll go shopping tomorrow morning when they are both at school. We'll get everything we need for the little one," John said with a smile. "And then we will go house hunting...  
just you and me."

"Sounds absolutely perfect," Blair said, wrapping her arms around John and kissing him deeply. "I hope we find something we like though..."

"The real estate lady said there are a couple of choices to chose from, so hopefuly something will catch our eye. Just so long as we don't have to live in Todd and Marty's backyard... now that would never be good," John said as he hugged Blair close.

"Oh God, don't even joke about that," Blair said. "I'll take anything...  
anything at all before I'd ever do that. I'm sure that we will find something we like."

John just smiled at Blair's reaction. "Don't worry, I am sure we can find something just perfect for us... and we won't even have to live in Todd's garden shed." Taking Blair's hand, he walked with her back into the house.

~*o*~

The next day, Blair and John dropped the boys off at school, then went to the mall to get some clothing and furniture for the new baby. "Why don't they have any black baby clothes?" John asked.

Blair giggled as she was looking through a rack of baby clothes. "Babe, that's not likely, unless there is a Baby Goth store," she teased.

She couldn't stop giggling though. Black Baby clothes. Then all of a sudden,  
her laughter stopped. "John, you could start your own line for babies and toddlers,  
a clothing line featuring black baby clothes."

"Now you're teasing me," John smirked. "Really though, I don't think the baby would look all that cute in black. And we gotta think of a name for her.  
Got any ideas?" John picked an armload of baby girl clothes and infant items and added them to the cart.

"No actually I'm not," Blair responded. "Because I just realized if you're asking that question there are probably a few others who want black baby clothes as well. Certain people have their own tastes and style - not everyone is into the cutsie baby stuff with ducks and frogs and cows and those sort of things, ya know."

"Names," Blair said as she began to wrack her brain. "Traditional or non-traditional?"

"I'm glad we are on the same page here," said John as Blair said that not all parents wanted cutsie things for their babies. He had been thinking of doing the baby's room in bright colors, not the traditional pastels. He was actually thinking of decorating the room in red and black. "How about Kassia?" he suggested for their new daughter's name. "Do you like it? Kassia McBain.  
It has a nice ring to it."

"I like it," Blair agreed. "It sounds nice. It's not too common which is a good thing. I think it'll be perfect for our daughter."

John smiled as he gazed at Blair. "Our daughter," he spoke. "I really like the sound of that."

After they finished up with the baby shopping, they went to check out the houses from the real estate. The first place was a two-story house with five bedrooms and a full basement. There was even a big fenced-in back yard. As John and Blair looked around the house, John was really impressed. "What do you think?" he asked Blair.

Blair thought that the house was fantastic. "Oh my gosh! This is house is amazing," she breathed as they had looked around it. "It could fit all of us."

"Yeah, it could," John agreed. "And we could convert the basement into a playroom/family room. The place has so much potential. I say we tell the lady we want it. I'm sure the boys will fall in love with it, too."

"Sounds good to me," Blair spoke with a grin. "I'm sure they will. They'll love the backyard for sure now that we have Mickey."

"We have it all now, Blair... two great boys, a cute little dog, a house...  
and a baby girl on the way," John said as he took Blair's hand and walked back out to the car. "Everything's perfect. Nothing is going to ruin it now."

That night over supper, Blair and John told the boys that they would soon be getting a new sister. Sammy looked at his mom, very confused. "But Mommy,  
you don't have a baby in your tummy," he observed. "Are you going to get my new sister at the pet store... just like the puppy?"

Blair had to stiffle the laugh at the innocent question. "No, you're right,  
Sammy; Mommy doesn't have a baby inside of her tummy this time. And no, we're not getting your sister from the pet store. Sometimes there are babies who don't have a mommy or a daddy to love them," Blair explained. "So those babies are adopted by people who want to add a new baby to their family." She didn't know if Sammy could completely understand although she was doing her very best to explain.

"Okay, so... when is the baby coming?" Sammy questioned.

"Sometime very soon," John spoke up.

"I don't like babies all that much," said Jack. "They just poop, puke, and cry."

"Ewwwwwww," said Sammy. "I like babies though. Paloma is cute. She doesn't puke all that much... but sometimes she cries."

Jack rolled his eyes. He didn't care too much about getting a new sister.  
He was more excited about girls and taking Cyndi to the movies.

Blair tried not to laugh. "Babies do cry," she explained. "Because they can't talk and it's their way of letting the adults know if they're hungry, sad, or hurt."

John was amused by this conversation. As far as he could see, the boys would do fine when their new sister got here. He had been right, the new baby would help make their family complete.

"Jack, Sammy, we are going to really need your help over the next couple of weeks before your sister gets here... we are moving, and you both can help us pack," John suggested.

"I'm a good packer," said Sammy. "See, I'm getting big muscles." Sam showed off his little biceps.

Blair pretended to look shocked. "Oh my goodness, what big muscles you have,  
Sammy! Yes, you will definitely be a good packer with those," she exclaimed, glad the boys were okay with the move and a new sister.

~*Todd and Marty*~

Todd had survived caring for Paloma while Marty had been hospitalized. After she got out, Todd came to get her and then helped her get settled in with the baby.  
At first Todd had insisted he go, but then he realized Marty still needed him as she was yet recovering from surgery. As Marty continued getting better, Todd was always nearby, but things were strained between them. He helped her with the baby, but other than that, he spent most of his time at work. The days went by, then weeks and months, and Todd continued to sleep on the couch.

He wanted and needed Marty, but he felt he wasn't good enough for her. He felt he had let her down. But now he couldn't even think of leaving, because she and Paloma meant everything to him.

He had even called, asking his lawyer to make arrangements so the boys could start coming over for visits. Jack was indifferent to his little sister, but Sammy was absolutely fascinated and couldn't wait for Paloma to get bigger so she could play with him. Once the boys were back in his life, Todd felt that at least one thing in his life was back to normal.

He and Marty hadn't really talked about what happened that night when Paloma had been born, but mostly it was because Todd refused to discuss the issue. Now,  
Marty was completely recovered and as beautiful as ever, and Todd wanted her so much he could barely think straight. Being in her presense was was like torture for him, because all he wanted was to take her in his arms and make passionate love to her.

It had now been five months since Paloma's birth and her hair had come in strawberry blonde. Like her parents she had beautiful blue eyes. "Hi Princess," Todd said when he came downstairs and saw Paloma in her high chair as Marty was about to give her some breakfast. He ruffled Paloma's hair, then reached for his morning coffee.

"Did you sleep alright?" Marty asked. She didn't think it was fair for him to have to sleep on the couch, but that's what Todd had chosen to do. She didn't really understand,  
but she couldn't say anything that would change his mind. She was just glad that was here to help with Paloma and she liked watching the two of them together.  
She fixed Paloma some breakfast and was getting ready to feed it to her.

Todd sat down at the table, coffee in hand. He took a sip as he watched Marty mix up some baby cereal and pureed fruit for little Paloma. Paloma started waving her hands happily, knowing it was now time to eat. Todd then looked over at Marty when she asked how he had slept the night before. "Ohhh I slept just wonderfully, Marty," he said with cheerful sarcasm. "And how did you sleep, I wonder... in my bed?"

Marty started to feed Paloma a spoonful, and turned her head to look at Todd.  
"I didn't ask for this," she pointed out. "But don't worry Paloma and I will be gone by lunch time," The way Todd was acting, you would think she had just showed up on his doorstep wanting a place to stay or something.

Todd watched as Marty gave Paloma spoonfuls of the baby gruel. Paloma made gurgling noises as she enjoyed her breakfast. "And just where do you think you are going with my daughter?" Todd asked, a muscle twitching in his jaw.  
"You're not leaving, Marty... and neither is Paloma. I gave you a chance to end things five months ago. It seems you decided then and there to put up with me AS IS. The man you see before you now... is the REAL Todd Manning in the flesh and blood. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Do you accept me, faults and all?"

Marty glared at him. "Well, clearly I was under the impression you actually wanted to be around your daughter, but I'm not staying somewhere I'm not welcome,  
Todd. I never said you couldn't still see Paloma if I moved out. I don't know what to think about you anymore."

Todd set his coffee cup aside. He then stood up and began washing Paloma's face with a washcloth considering she had just finished up with her breakfast.  
"Time for your morning nap, Princess," Todd said to his daughter.

He then turned to Marty and said, "Hold that thought..."

Todd left the kitchen, Paloma in his arms. He took her upstairs for her nap, then returned to the kitchen where Marty was cleaning up from breakfast.

"The house is in your name, Marty... or have you forgotten? If anyone leaves, it's going to be me. I want my daughter to have a home where she feels secure," Todd said as he approached her.

"What do you mean ::: you don't know what to think about me anymore? Didn't you know you were getting involved with Todd Manning? The ex-fed, the ex-rapist, the monster? Need I go on? You more than anyone should have known what you were getting yourself into, Marty, when you agreed to have a relationship with me," Todd said as he tried with all his power not to raise his voice, but he was having trouble keeping it contained.

"I made a promise I would try to change and become a better man when we got together. You know that I did everything humanly possible to do that... but on the night you had Paloma, all hell broke loose. John Mc Bain had to pistol whip me!" Todd reminded. "All I wanted was to be a good dad to a Paloma and a good man for you... I thought I had so much courage... but maybe I don't. Maybe everyone was right about me all along." Todd then looked away, unable to stop the waves of pain which had been blinding him for so many years.

Marty wiped the table and then washed her hands while listening to Todd. When he stopped speaking, she looked at him, her arms crossed over her chest. "So basically just because John McBain decided he knew best, you aren't even going to bother trying anymore? So that's it, John's right; everyone's right, but the only thing left now is what? We live like two strangers who have a kid together? I never asked you to put the house in my name, did I? "

Todd shook his head. "No, you never asked me, but I knew it was the right thing to do. I wanted only the best for you and our daughter. Although you probably don't believe me, I love you, Marty. I always have... and I always will."

"Is it worth it for me to continue trying now? How can I believe in myself,  
if and when you stop believing in me?" Todd asked Marty. "It's YOUR opinion I care about... not anyone else's. So what's your opinion of me? Do you truly think it's worth the effort?"

"Because if it's not, I'm tired of living a lie. I haven't done a single bad thing since that night, have I? I haven't kidnapped, raped, or beaten up anyone, have I? I go to work, I come home, I sleep on the lumpy couch... Whatta fuckin life..." Todd said in disgust. "And to tell you the truth... I'm damn sick of living it. I am ready for something different."

He then took in the sight of Marty in that nightgown of hers and he couldn't help but gaze at her longingly. It clung to her curves in which he longed to caress. He ran a hand through his hair in a swipe, needing to put as much distance from himself and Marty as possible as he couldn't help but be swept away by desire.

"Todd, I never said I didn't believe you in anymore. You just took off that night after I was taken to the hospital. Marty said. "Do you know how much it hurt to read your note? Like I was just not that important to you, but hey 'you can have my house since you had my kid,' that's what it felt like. I never said things would be easy and I never assumed they would be, but I thought if you really wanted to do this, if you wanted to do it right, you would at least try despite the struggle it was and despite what anyone else says."

Todd looked into Marty's blue eyes and said softly, "I never meant to hurt you, Marty. What should have been the happiest night of our lives, the birth of our daughter, turned into a nightmare... and after what happened with John,  
I thought it was all my fault. I hope you don't hate me, but I DO NOT feel remorse for throwing him up against the wall that night."

"The only thing I felt remorse about was that I thought I had hurt you. I couldn't take that. I never want to disappoint you," he stated as he stepped across the kitchen and stood face to face with her. "I love you, Marty... do you believe that?"

"I know you and I don't expect you would behave any differently than you did, but I just didn't want you to stoop to his level is all," she said.

"I do believe it, because I love you, too," she said honestly. "But I want to do what makes you happy."

"Happy?" Todd said softly. "You, Marty... you make me happy. You're all I ever wanted. And we have that beautiful little girl upstairs. How could a man be happier? The only thing that would make me even more happy... is to have you back in my arms again..."

"You haven't been acting like it, so it was hard for me to tell," Marty spoke softly. "I've missed you though, Todd ... a lot."

Todd's eyes went very dark blue with desire. "Just how much did you miss me, Marty... tell me," he coaxed, taking a step closer, though he still wasn't touching her yet. The heat was there, the chemistry and it was tugging them closer. They were so close now, Todd could feel her breath up on his skin.

"A lot," she whispered breathlessly. "I thought I was alone and I just...I just wished you would come back and say that you had changed your mind and that you didn't want to be away from me."

"I didn't want to leave you, Marty... I thought I had to, cause I wasn't good enough for you; that I would only end up hurting you... just like I always do,"  
he said softly as he reached out, tenderly caressing her cheek. "I still want you, so much... do you want me too?"

"Yes, I still want you," she said as she looked at him longingly. "I never stopped, Todd... never."  
She looked into his eyes wondering if he felt the same way.

As Marty was searching Todd's eyes, his fingers continued to caress along her jaw line. He traced her lower lip with his thumb, then lowered his mouth to hers. Softly, he brushed his lips against hers. Then with a heavy groan, he unleashed upon her all the passion he had been holding back these past five months. He locked his arms around her, pressing her against him as he kissed her with growing hunger.

Marty kissed him back passionately as she wrapped her arms around him wanting more and more of him as their kiss continued. It felt so good to be kissing him after so long. It was almost as though she had forgotten what it felt like and how intense it could be as she lost herself in that kiss.

As they kissed, Todd pulled Marty in closer, and then in one fluid motion, he lifted her up in his arms. He carried her upstairs and into the bedroom,  
placing her down gently on the bed. Standing over her, he gazed at her, desire flaming in his eyes. Without a word, he pulled her nightgown up and over her body. "I love your nightgown," Todd whispered. "But I like it even better OFF you..."

Marty smirked at Todd's words. Oh yeah?" she said as she looked up while lying on the bed.

"I think you're a bit too far away," she said as she wanted him closer so she could feel him against her body.

"Is this where you want me? Here? On top of you?" Todd asked in a sexy voice after lowering himself atop Marty. Then he slid down her body, taking in the sight of her sexiness clad in only a black lacy bra and matching panties.  
With hot kisses, Todd started kissing her tummy.

Marty let out a moan of pleasure feeling Todd's kisses. "Yes. that is definitely where I want you,"  
she breathed, letting out a gasp feeling his mouth on her stomach. Her fingers became tangled in his hair.

Todd kissed his way up Marty's body, his breath hot as he kissed her breasts through her bra, taking in the scent that was distinctly Marty. He licked softly at a nipple thru the material of her bra, then gave it a tiny little bite. He then grabbed it in his mouth, nibbling and sucking.

"Oh God yes!" Marty gasped loving the sensation of Todd's teeth against her nipple. She began tugging at the ends of his hair.  
Todd didn't waste any time and she liked that. She just wanted to be with him; it felt so good. "Yes! More."

Todd liked the sounds Marty was making in the back of her throat as he toyed with her hardened nipple through the wet fabric of her bra. He stood up then,  
taking off his clothing piece by piece and tossing it all aside. After he was naked and thrillingly aroused, he rejoined Marty back on the bed. He rolled her over slightly, unhooking her bra. It fell away, and Todd sucked in his breath. He wanted her so damn much, he couldn't even think straight. Rolling her back over on her back, he took a breast into his hand drawing practically the entire globe into his mouth.

She arched her body right up off the bed as she felt him take her breast into his mouth, marvelling at the fact that it practically fit right into his mouth. She could feel his tongue caressing her hardened nipple.  
"Oh God yes!" she cried out. She wanted this for so long now and it was finally happening. Marty tangled herself in Todd.

Todd sucked and teased Marty's breast with his lips and tongue. He then moved to the other breast, feasting on it, too. He pulled her against him,  
letting her feel how hard he was as he pressed his thick cock against the smooth flesh of her inner thigh. He ran a caress down her side, toward her lower body. With a fingertip he traced the outer edge of her panties where the lacy fabric met the silken flesh of her inner thigh.

"Don't tease," she begged softly as she tried to press herself against his hand when she felt his fingertips near her thigh. She let out a soft moan, tilting her head back.

Todd's breathing sped up as he slowly inched Marty's panties down and tossed them across the room. His lips caressed her skin, sliding across her breasts,  
over her tummy, kissing his way down toward his prize. He opened her legs,  
licking her inner thighs. His tongue trailed up her thigh, brushing against her most sensitive place. Softly, the tip of his tongue sought out her honey.

She let out a moan as her body reacted to his, she couldn't get enough already.  
"Mmmm," she moaned as she was overcome with desire for him.

Todd's fingers that played upon her breasts slid down toward her warm wet treasure where his tongue tasted and teased. He left no part of her untouched or unexplored as she grew wetter and more aroused. He then nibbled her inner thigh and looked up at her with smokey blue eyes, meeting her gaze.

Looking down at Todd, Marty's eyes were dark-blue and smoky with passion. "I didn't think we'd ever be this close again," she spoke softly as she brushed her hand gently across his cheek. "I've dreamed about it."

"I thought you'd never want me back," Todd spoke as he kissed his way slowly back up her body. He then brushed his lips against hers so softly. He then buried his head in her neck, the raw emotion overcoming him.

Marty ran her fingers through his hair as she held onto him. "I've always wanted you; I;ve missed you," she said softly. She showered him with tiny kisses wherever she could reach from her position as she locked her arms around him tightly.

"Marty, I'm not going to waste a single minute with you, now that I have you back," Todd promised as he raised his head and looked into her eyes. "I love you..."

He brushed his lips against hers again. "I missed you too," he admitted.  
"More than you know."

"I want to be inside you now..." he said in a husky voice. "I just can't wait another minute." He aligned their bodies until his tip was pressed to her entrance and as their eyes locked, he very slowly began to enter her heat.

Marty had no arguments as she wanted him just as badly and she didn't want to wait. As she felt him start to enter her, she kissed his neck softly slipping her arms around him. She forgot to breathe as she felt Todd sliding himself inside her.

"Mmmmm Marty... ohhh God... you feel so good..." Todd groaned, feeling how hot and wet her silken walls were surrounding his cock. He throbbed inside her as he came to rest as deeply as he possibly could, but he didn't move. He just looked into Marty's blue eyes, thinking how amazing it was to have this woman in his arms after everything they had been through. His muscles flexed and he wanted to thrust into Marty hard and deep but he waited, wanting to prolong the pleasure for both of them.

"Marty, does this feel good?" he asked in a sexy voice. "Tell me what you want me to do... say the words," Todd prompted.

"Ohhh Todd, it does; it feels so good," she responded, raising her his as though to get him deeper inside. "I want you, Todd. I want you to fuck me so badly. Please! PLEASE." Marty was practically begging as she needed to feel him moving, giving pleasure to both of them.

Todd felt Marty arching up toward him to take his thick cock deeper inside.  
As she began begging him, Todd couldn't take it anymore. Those naughty words falling from Marty's lips was his undoing. He went absolutely wild, thrusting hard and fast into her again and again. His blue eyes held to hers as he began to flex his hips faster and faster. "Is this what you wanted, Marty? Me?  
Fucking you hard?" Todd asked, reaching between their bodies to stimulate her clit with skillful fingertips.

"God... YESSS," she moaned. "Just like that."

With his every downward thrust, she moved her hips to meet him. "Hard and fast," she breathed. Feeling Todd's fingertips stimulate her clit, she let out a purr of passion.  
Her body was responding to his so easily as though no one else had the power to bring her to to such passion.

With every wild thrust, Marty's body arched up to meet Todd's. He made a sound of strangled passion, feeling how her wet silk encased the throbbing steel of his cock. Her words and the sounds of intense pleasure coming from deep in her throat made Todd unleash the demon which lurked inside of him. He was soon pounding into her faster and harder, making love to her with so much intensity that he felt as though his head were about to explode. At that moment it was just him and Marty, and the rest of the world no longer existed. He pinched her clit as his cock penetrated her with blinding speed.

She could feel her climax coming and let out a cry of passion. "I'm almost there!" she called out. She was so close...YES! It felt so good to her and she was loving it." The faster he moved the more pleasure she received.

When Todd heard Marty call out that her climax was near, he did not slow down his movements within her. "That's it, Marty... cum all over my cock," Todd groaned, giving her clit another pinch. It had been so long that Todd too was close to reaching ecstasy.

Marty cried out in pleasure as she did cum, spilling her juices all over his cock. Her body compeletely arched up off the bed as she pressed herself up to Todd.

Marty's screams of ecstasy echoed in Todd's ears as her pussy muscles clenched so hard on his cock. Todd exploded inside her in that moment, filling her with jets of his cum. He shuddered as he spilled all of himself inside of her. He then practically collapsed atop her, his lips pressed against her neck. After a few ragged breaths, he pulled back, gazing into her eyes. With soft fingertips, he caressed her cheek. "You're a beautiful and amazing woman,  
Marty Saybrooke," he said to her in a whisper. "I love you... I love you so much..."

She smiled, kissing his hand softly. "I love you too, Todd Manning," she told him.  
She rested her forehead against his as she was feeling exhausted, but in a good way. This was the way she and Todd should have been connecting since their daughter's birth, and now that she had back again, she couldn't have been happier.

Looking into her eyes, Todd whispered, "I love those words from you." He gave her one last tender kiss, then withdrew from her snug depths. He then rolled over, lying next to her. He cuddled her close, caressing her long hair.  
"You feel so good in my arms, Marty... now that you're back in them, I'm not going to let you go," he warned her as he held her against his strong chest.

"I don't plan on going anywhere and you had better not let me go either," she said as she lay content in his embrace. It felt so good to be laying next to Todd and cuddling with him. She kissed him softly.

Todd closed his eyes, enjoying the moment and Marty's soft lips on his. "I could stay here like this with you forever," he said in a whisper after his eyes opened and he looked deep into her eyes. "I'd never go to work... my sister would wonder what happened to me..." A smile curled his lips. "The only way I'm going to let you go now will be the day that I die," he promised Marty, pulling her against him in a tight hug. He sighed contentedly, her naked skin feeling good against his.

She rested her cheek against his warm chest and giggled softly. "Yeah, I'm sure Vicki would wonder what on earth happened to you," she said. "Mmmm, I very much like the sound of that... the two us, together forever..."

"Planning on keeping me captive here, Marty... in our bedroom?" Todd chuckled. Then he stiffened, hearing the distinct sound of a baby's cry.

"I think our daughter's calling," he said, as he stood up and pulled on a pair of pants. "You stay here and get that sexy nightgown back on. I'll go get her."

He headed down the hallway toward Paloma's bedroom. Right away when he walked into the room, he noticed the air was unusually cold. "Paloma?" he said softly, walking toward the crib. Paloma lay in the middle of the crib,  
fussing slightly, all her blankets kicked off.

Todd touched her little cheek to soothe her. He then noticed a note against the railing of the crib.

The message read:

Hello Todd,

Keep a watchful eye on your girls. I am.

There was nothing further, but Todd's face went white. He swept Paloma in his arms, then walked to the window which was slightly ajar. He pushed the window closed, locking it.

Holding the baby close, he entered the bedroom. "Marty," he said as he placed their daughter into her arms. "We need to talk." He knew this wouldn't be easy... considering the memories this particular conversation was going to evoke.

Marty sat up in the bed, the sheets wrapped around her body as she carefully lay Paloma down in the bed next to her. "What is it, Todd? What's wrong?" she asked worriedly as she reached for her robe. She leaned over, grabbing the robe from the floor then pulled it on her body. "Is Paloma sick?"

Todd took a seat in the white lounge chair situated near the end of their bed. He glanced over at Paloma when Marty asked if their baby girl was getting sick. "No, she's fine," Todd said softly. "But I found a note in her crib... A theatening note."

Todd took the crumpled note from his hand, smoothed out the edges where he had been clutching it in his fist, and handed it to Marty. Their eyes met and he took in her reaction after she finished reading it. "It's from Powell," Todd told her, hating that name upon his lips. 


	10. Powell Strikes

AUTHOR'S NOTE ::: This is the love story of Marty and Todd. It also includes several other characters as well as their storylines. This story will be submitted in several parts and is based off the hit soap One Life to Live, yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story. Not all the parts of this story will contain erotic sex scenes as there is a plot. First and foremost, this story is a romance/drama, not a sex story.

Also, I'd like to note that I do not own ABC's One Life to Live or the characters and I will NOT be receiving any payment whatsoever for writing this story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only.

Please don't forget to REVIEW...

*~Marty and Todd ::: Chapter Ten~*

Marty's face had gone pale after reading the note and her heart pounded in her chest hearing Todd say the note was from Powell. "Why is he bothering us?" Marty cried out.

"I don't know, Marty. The guy is a psychopath... We both know that," Todd said with a heavy sigh as he stood and began to pace. "He's been locked in a padded cell for about 15 years now in Statesville Mental Hospital... I don't even know how he got out of there."

"Last I knew the asshole was catatonic. Clearly he's not... this is his handwriting. I'd recognize that scrawl anywhere," said Todd as his fear and worry began to increase for those whom he loved, especially Marty and Paloma,  
'his girls' as Powell had written in the message. "I have to call Blair and John right away... and warn Starr, too. If Powell is out roaming the streets,  
no one is safe." The last time Powell had been in Llanview, he had raped several women in the hospital and had murdered another.

Todd's heart clenched in his chest, as it seemed the nightmare from that night at Spring Fling was never going to end. Not for any of them.

Marty held Paloma protectively. "Yes, you should call and warn them," she said.

"Should we tell the police about the note?" she asked as she had no idea what they should do since they knew that Powell was targeting them.

"I'll leave that up to John. He's the former cop," Todd said as he reached for his cell phone. He proceeded to call Blair, but got no answer. He left a message on Blair's voice mail urging her to keep an extra close watch on the boys, as he had received a threatening letter from Powell Lord. He then tried calling Starr. He frowned as his daughter's voice mail picked up just as Blair's had.

"Starr, it's Dad. Listen Sweetie, I know you're really not talking to me at the moment,  
but I'm worried about you and Hope. There's this guy who has been threatening Marty and your baby sister. His name is Powell Lord and he's a very dangerous man. Just be careful, okay,  
Starr? I love you," Todd said into the phone. After hanging up, Todd went to the dresser drawer and got a gun.

After he had the gun ready to fire if necessary, he said to Marty, "Pack some things for yourself and the baby. We are going on a trip."

Marty didn't question Todd as she put Paloma into her car seat and propped it where she could keep an eye on the baby while she packed. After she had packed for herself, she quickly got dressed. Next she carried the car seat into the nursery. She began tossing items into a bag, whatever she would fit, so she would have the essentials for Paloma.

After getting dressed, Todd threw some of his clothes into a duffel bag and packed all the weapons he could possibly find in the house as well. He then got on the phone and began making some calls. He was going to disappear for awhile, but he wanted a bodyguard placed near Starr and also near Blair's house for the protection of his sons. He knew that if Starr or Blair needed anything at all, they could reach him via his cell phone. "Marty, you ready?" he then asked her, finding her packing up some last minute items in Paloma's bedroom. Todd felt very uneasy, knowing that psycho Powell had been roaming around in his house.

Marty zipped up the bag and picked up the baby seat with Paloma in it. "Yeah, we're all set," she said. She was half-afraid to ask where it was that they were going.

"Good," Todd said as he slipped the gun into the pocket of his pants. Why the hell had he fired his body guard? He really needed him on a day like today. Then he remembered that his bodyguard had flirted with his ex-wife Blair in his own home and had shared some of his secrets with John McBain. Right now he really needed a loyal bodyguard he could trust. If anything happened to Marty, Paloma, or anyone else he loved, Todd wasn't going to be able to deal with it.

"Let's go," Todd said, reaching for Paloma's portable bed. He threw the rest of the bags over his shoulders and began walking down the staircase with Marty by his side. They were about to walk out the front door, when they were met in the doorway by Tea.

"Tea, get out of the way. We are going," Todd said, trying to brush past her.

"Where are you going, Todd? And you mean to tell me you are back together with Marty, and you didn't even have the decency to tell me. I thought I meant so much to you... after that time we spent with each other while Marty was in the hospital," Tea spoke as she began to boldly caress Todd's sexy chest.

Marty carefully set Paloma down and glared at Todd's ex-wife. "That had better be a fucking lie," Marty quipped.  
If Todd had written her that note and left her to be with Tea that night there would be hell to pay for both of them.

Todd pushed Tea's hand away angrily as she kept toying with his chest. "Stop it, Tea," he growled.

"Of course it's a fucking lie," Todd said to Marty. "I never fucked her. Not since... well, you know when..."

"She came to my office when you were in the hospital, stripped down and threw herself on top of me. I told her to get the hell out," Todd said, glaring at Tea as he spoke every word.

"That isn't how it happened, Marty... don't believe him. I gave Todd a blow-  
job and he loved every minute of it," Tea lied as she made the motion of oral sex with her hand and face. "He came in my mouth and I swallowed every drop..."

Marty reached out and slapped Tea hard. She really hated that woman; she was nothing but a whore. Turning on her heel, Marty picked up Paloma's seat. "I'll be in the car," she told Todd as she walked briskly away from Tea.

In shock, Tea cradled her bruised cheek after Marty had slapped it. She started to cry pathetically. "Todd, she hit me... Can you believe it... she hit me?" Tea sobbed.

"You must have really pissed her off, Tea. I've honestly never seen Marty hit anyone before until now," Todd said, trying not to crack up as he did everything in his power to push Tea out of the doorway and inch his way out the door. He had really enjoyed seeing Marty put Tea in her place. The woman had soooo been asking for it.

"But she didn't have to hit me. She's just jealous... Cause she knows you like fucking me."

Todd grabbed Tea, his hand tangling in her hair. "Shut the fuck up, Tea. I'm with Marty now. I DON'T WANT YOU!" he bit out. "I only slept with you when Marty and I were broken up... and to tell you the truth, you were a poor substitute."

"You dirty, rotten snake!" Tea hissed, trying to slap Todd for his cruel words.

Todd slapped her hand away and in the same instant, threw her out of his house on her ass. He then locked the door behind him and walked over to his car. He got in then, seeing that Marty had Paloma strapped in the back. "Ready to go?" he asked.

Marty had just finished securing her own seatbelt and smiled at him after she was done. "Yup, I'm ready to go," she told Todd, glad that they were leaving that slutty Tea behind.

Todd started the car as he returned Marty's smile. "I'm really sorry about Tea," he said as they backed out of the drive. "I don't know what I ever saw in that woman. She was always there... and always so handy whenever Blair and I were broken up. I guess mainly I just saw her as an easy lay."

"After you found out the truth and we were split up for awhile, there she was again... and only too willing to 'comfort' me in my pain. But she never really 'did it' for me. I apologize for the terrible things she said. None of it was true," Todd assured her. "I'd be much happier if I never saw her again."

Marty put her hand on Todd's leg as he drove. "I'm sorry to say I think the world would be a better place without her. She's no good for you, and I'm glad you can see that," she said.  
"Maybe she'll go away before we come back." But Marty knew it was wishful thinking as she was certain the only way Tea would ever disappear was if she had died.

Todd grinned a little when he thought of Tea going away and never coming back. Despite everything (Powell's threat and Tea's persistence), he was glad he was here with Marty and they were finally back together in every sense of the word. His grin widened when he felt her hand on his leg. "A little higher,  
baby," he said in a teasing voice.

Marty lightly smacked his leg. "Hilarious, Manning," she said with a smirk on her face. She couldn't help but notice Todd's look of almost-disappointment.

"Maybe later if you're a good boy," she joked. She turned to check on Paloma in the backseat who had managed to fall asleep.

Todd glanced over at her, hoping that wasn't a joke, because they had spent so much time apart and now really had a lot to make up for. First of all they needed to get somewhere safe, away from the threat of Powell and far from the rest of the world. Then they could indulge in each other, and he was sure that in each other's arms, they would be able to find an escape from the madness that had invaded their lives. "Everything will be alright, Marty, I promise," Todd said in a reassurance as he drove down the highway.

Marty glanced over at the man she loved. "I know," she said softly. "I trust you with my life, and with Paloma's, so I know you'll keep us safe. I just can't wait till we are far,  
far away from Llanview and we can just be together and not have to worry about anything..."

"I love you," Todd told her, feeling so glad that she trusted him. She meant everything to him and so did their daughter, and he would gladly die before anything happened to harm either one of them.

"I know we are rushing off... but we should try to think of this as a vacation. We deserve it," Todd spoke. "You, me, and our baby girl. The rest of the world can just go away. It's just us... and nothing else is really important."

"A couple more hours, and we will be there," he said, looking over at Marty and taking in how beautiful she looked.

"I love you, too," Marty said with a smile. "And I'm so glad we'll be there soon. So, where exactly is it we are going?"

"Statesville," Todd said with a little smirk. "Figure he won't be going back any time soon to the same place he just recently escaped."

"They have a nice hotel there. I got us the honeymoon suite. I hope you don't mind," Todd stated. "Maybe if we stay busy doing 'other things,' it will take our minds off the craziness of Powell, Tea, and all the other Hell you and I have ever gone through."

"Well, I guess that will work as long as he doesn't decide to show up in Statesville for some reason. I hope he decides to run off to Mexico or something..."

"And he can take Tea with him," Marty added as an after thought.

"Tea?" Todd repeated. "You really don't like her, do you, Marty?"

Todd chuckled, then added, "I would even feel bad for Powell, if he had to listen to Tea for all that long... He would go even more nuts."

"Something has been bothering me though... and it has to do with Powell..."

"I honestly cannot stand her," Marty said of Tea. Then looked at Todd curiously and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Marty, Powell isn't going to give up, not till I am dead. He's just going to hurt more innocent people, until he gets what it is that he really wants. And he wants me," Todd spoke. "Part of me wants to just give myself up to him."

"Afterall, I'm the reason we are all going through this nightmare. There is no doubt I am to blame for all of it," Todd said. "I'd rather be the one to suffer, than you,  
Paloma, my other kids, or even Tea."

"Todd, please don't say that. There has to be some other way. What would Paloma and I do without you? What good would it be to let Powell kill you?" she asked Todd, sounding almost hysterical.

Todd saw Marty's eyes become stormy with tears and his heart clenched with pain. "Who said I would let him kill me?" Todd answered. "It's going to be me or him... and I would fight for you with everything inside of me. Who's to say that if I'm dead, he wouldn't go after you, Starr, or someone else I love? That's why I know, none of us will have a single second of peace until I slit Powell's throat."

"I created a monster all those years ago, Marty... and I gotta fix it. It's all on me," Todd sighed. "But I'm not ready to do that now. But there will come a time... when I have no other choice."

"Are you sure that when the time comes you can destroy him without him overtaking you in the process?" she asked fearfully. Powell was clearly psychotic and determined to kill Todd, so what if something went wrong and Todd did die? What would she do then? She knew she wouldn't be able to handle losing Todd.

"I'd do anything I had to do to get back to you," Todd swore. "You are my life, Marty. I have loved you so long... and finally, after all the hell we have gone through, we have this chance to be happy. I will do whatever I must to keep you and our little girl safe."

*~o~*

After Todd threw her out, Tea went snooping around. She went into Todd's backyard, seeing a trampoline with a net around it as well as a nice swingset for his kids. "Todd and I should have had kids," Tea said to herself sadly as she looked around the yard. "I always wanted his baby." She didn't think it was fair that Blair had kids with him and Marty had just given birth to his baby. Even Margaret Cochran had gotten the pleasure of having Todd's child.

Powell Lord had lived in Statesville Mental Hospital over a decade, his hatred for Todd Manning growing. Todd had ruined his life and had destroyed everything. He wanted Todd and everyone Todd loved to die a slow, agonizing death.

Powell had been hiding outback in Todd's tool shed after he had put the note in Paloma's crib. He peeked out through a window, seeing a woman walking around in the backyard. A grin came to his face. "Oooo ... A play-thing," he said with a wicked little chuckle.

"Such a beautiful place... too bad he just shares it with Marty, not with me," Tea said sadly as she was walking along the grounds in back of Todd's home.

"Wonder what he keeps in this little shed?" Tea said as she approached the tool shed in the backyard. "Ohhh Todd, is this the place where you keep your kinky sex toys?"

She opened the door and stepped inside, looking around in the near-darkness.  
She didn't see anything odd, just the usual yard-keeping items such as a lawn mower, gas can, and hedge clippers. Tea had been hoping for something more.

"What a shame... I guess this isn't the place where Todd keeps his blow-up doll," Tea said as she was about to leave. Suddenly the room went pitch-black as someone closed and locked the door. Tea screamed in fright.

Powell grabbed Tea in his arms, squeezing her as he kept her still. "If it isn't the lovely Ms. Tea Del Gado, Todd Manning's beautiful and passionate ex-wife," Powell said in a wicked voice.

"Let me go!" Tea screamed. "Don't touch me... or Todd will kill you!"

"Todd isn't going to help you now," Powell laughed cruelly.

"Who are you?" Tea demanded as the lights came back on and the guy tied her to a chair in the middle of Todd's tool shed.

"Let's just say I am an old "friend" of Todd's. We went to college together, he and I," Powell answered as he fingered a shiny knife in his grip.

"Why are you doing this to me?" asked Tea.

"Because I want to destroy anyone who has any meaning at all to Todd. I want to torture him... making him see how it feels to lose everything he has,"  
Powell explained.

"Well, you got the wrong girl then. Todd doesn't care about me."

"You were his ex-wife... he married you... You were his lawyer... and everyone knows you two loved to fuck," Powell observed.

"Yeah, we always did have a wild and hot sex life," Tea agreed.

"So, its really gonna kill him when he finds out I shoved a knife in your guts..."

*~o~*

When Marty and Todd arrived in Statesville, it was late afternoon. Suddenly, it began to storm. "What is it with you, me, and storms?" Todd said as he grabbed their baggage and got ready to go inside to their hotel room.

Marty kept Paloma covered so she'd stay dry as she rushed into the hotel with Todd. She laughed at Todd's remark. "I don't know; I guess the storms like us," she responded although she hoped that wasn't a bad sign.

Todd chuckled at Marty's comment as he paid for their room. Then they got on the elevator, Paloma and luggage in tow. "I'm glad you aren't afraid of the storms anymore, Marty," Todd said, looking into her eyes as they waited for the elevator to reach the seventh floor.

"I have you; I don't need to be scared anymore," she told him honestly. "I know you'll keep me safe."

"That's one promise I will always keep ::: Never again would I let anyone hurt you, Marty," Todd said as they walked to their hotel room. Once inside,  
Todd set up the portable crib and started a fire in the fireplace. As rain fell in torrents inside, they were safe and warm in a romantic hotel room.

Marty removed Paloma from her seat after setting everything down and held her daughter tenderly in her embrace. "We are so lucky to have Daddy," she said softly while Todd was making the fire.

Todd had a nice fire crackling in the fireplace. He went to sit next to Marty who was holding Paloma. "Hey, Princess," he said, softly caressing her little cheek. Paloma smiled at her parents as Todd slipped an arm around Marty to hold her close.

"I'm the lucky one," Todd said as he looked into Marty's eyes.

Marty smiled as she carefully leaned over to kiss him so she would not crush Paloma in her arms.  
"We're both lucky, Todd... after all we have been through."

"I'm the luckiest man alive when I am with you," Todd said in an almost whisper as he reached over to tenderly caress a stray lock of hair from Marty's face. "Why don't you feed Paloma and get her ready for bed... and I'll call room service and order us a romantic steak dinner? Does that sound good?"

"That sounds perfect," she agreed with a smile. She kept busy feeding Paloma while Todd was ordering them dinner.  
Despite everything, she was looking forward to spending some time with Todd, just the two of them, in such a romantic setting.

Todd ordered two steak and baked potato dinners complete with a garden salad and Italian dressing. "And your most expensive bottle of wine," he added as he placed the order to room service.

After he hung up the phone, he helped Marty clean up Paloma who had just finished eating her babyfood. He kissed his little angel's cheek, then helped Marty dress her for bed. After they had Paloma put down for the night in the portable crib, Todd went over and sat down on the edge of the huge king-sized bed.

"You, me, and the honeymoon suite," he spoke in a husky voice, reaching for Marty. "What more could a man want?"

Marty laughed as she straddled him, her hands on his shoulders. "Mmmm... you tell me,  
Mr. Manning. What do you want?" she murmured as she gazed deep into his eyes.  
She would give him anything he wanted.

Todd's eyes widened when beautiful Marty settled herself in his lap. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her there. "You, always you," he said softly, gazing into her eyes. Very slowly, his lips lowered to hers in a passionate kiss.

Marty returned his soft kiss from where she sat upon his lap. Her fingers tangled in his hair. "I love you," she whispered. She was ready to have all of him again.

*~o~*

"Please.. don't kill me," Tea begged. "I'm sure if you call Todd, you could make some sort of deal with him."

"I thought you said Todd doesn't care about you..."

"Well, lately, he's been overly absorbed with Marty. I just hate her!"

"What? You hate Marty? I will not tolerate anyone bad-mouthing Marty, is that clear?" Powell said as he freaked out. "NEVER, EVER will you speak badly of Marty."

"Okay, okay..." Tea said as tears of frustration filled her eyes and started to spill. "Will you please just let me call Todd now? My cell phone is in my purse..."

"Maybe Todd would be willing to make a trade... Marty for you?" Powell suggested hopefully.

"I'm not sure if Todd will agree to that, but it's worth a try," Tea said,  
knowing that Todd would never give up Marty, not for anything.

"Okay, we'll call him then. Are you willing and prepared to beg for your life?" asked Powell.

"Yes, anything... just let me talk to Todd," Tea begged.

Powell reached for Tea's purse. He then unzipped it, pouring it's contents all over the floor of the shed. He held up something and laughed. "Your diaphragm?" he chuckled.

Nervously, Tea gave a laugh. "Uhhh yeah... that's exactly what that is..."  
she said, thinking that the last time it had been used had been her last passionate encounter with Todd and that had been months and months ago.

Powell tossed the offending object aside and picked up Tea's phone. "So,  
what do you think Manning's up to right now?" Powell said with a smirk.

"How should I know? Maybe he's fucking Marty..."

"Marty will be mine," Powell said with an evil laugh.

Cell phone in hand, Powell hit Todd's name in Tea's phone directory. The phone began ringing. Powell pressed the phone up to Tea's ear. "Be prepared to beg for your life..." Powell said in a menacing voice.

"Ohhh come on, Todd...please answer," Tea said urgently.

*~o~*

Todd ran his hand through Marty's long hair, tangling his fingers in the curls and cupping the back of her head. He kissed her even deeper, his tongue sliding into her mouth to taste her sweetness. His cock began to throb inside of his pants as their kiss got even hotter. That's when he heard the annoying and persistent ringing of his cell phone.

Todd reluctantly pulled back from Marty. "I gotta get that," he said apologetically. "It might be Blair about the kids... or Starr."

With Marty still on his lap, Todd reached into his back pocket of his pants to grab his cell. "It's Tea," he said with a deep sigh. "Should I answer it or would you like to do the honors?"

Marty let out a heavy groan. "I'll let you answer. I might just hang up on her before she says what she needs to say," answered Marty, quite annoyed with the interuption.

Giving Marty an apologetic look, Todd flipped open his phone. "Yeah, whattaya want?" he demanded into his phone with a frown on his handsome face.

"Todd, it's Tea," she said, stating the obvious. "I'm in trouble. This guy... he said his name is Powell... he kidnapped me... and he has me tied up in your tool shed."

"What?" Todd exclaimed. "Is this some sort of a sick joke?"

"No, Todd. It's true... He said he's gonna kill me, if you don't give him Marty."

A dark look came to Todd's face. "Tell Powell he can just go to Hell!" Todd growled.

*~John and Blair~*

A couple of weeks had passed since they had gotten Mickey, and John had hired some movers to help them with the big move. Jack turned out to be a good help as he helped John arrange the furniture. Sammy tried to help, too. It wasn't long at all until the new house was ready. Then the much-anticipated call had come from the adoption agency. Their new baby girl was ready for adoption. She was now just a few hours old.

"Blair," John said after hanging up the phone. "The agency called. Our new daughter will be here in less than a half hour."

"Oh my gosh!" Blair gasped. "Is everything ready? Did we get everything we'd need for Kassia? What if we're missing something?"

John smiled as Blair began to panic about having things ready for their new little daughter. "Relax, Blair. The baby's room is ready... and we have everything we need. Now all we gotta do is love her," John reminded, taking Blair in his arms. He wondered what the boys would say when they come home to find they had a new baby sister. He also wondered about what kind of dad he would be. He very much enjoyed his role as a stepfather, but this would be different. This baby would be THEIRS.

Blair nodded as John spoke to her soothingly. "Okay," she responded as she started to calm a bit when she was in his arms. Soon they would be meeting their newborn daughter. She loved the thought of that; THEIR daughter.

John just stood there, holding Blair and loving the sensation of her in his arms. "I wonder what she will look like," John said as he cuddled Blair.  
"I'm sure that she will look just like an angel."

As the minutes ticked by, John and Blair embraced. Then the doorbell rang. "She's here," John said as he took Blair's hand and they walked to the door together.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. McBain," said Tamara, the woman from Llanview Adoption Agency. "Meet your new baby daughter." She then placed the dark-haired baby girl into Blair's arms.

"Hi, Kassia," John said as he gazed into his new infant daughter's dark blue eyes.

Blair looked at the beautiful baby in her husband's embrace.  
"Ohhh, she looks just so precious; so beautiful," she gasped. She hoped that Kassia would be happy with them. She was already falling in love with this little girl.

Kassia looked up at her new parents with innocent trust. "Sammy and Jack are just gonna love her," said John as he brushed his lips softly against the new baby's forehead. "I mean, who couldn't, with that cute little face?"

"I'll leave the three of you alone to get acquainted," said Tamara as she turned to leave.

"Thanks for everything, Tam. I owe ya one," John said as he showed her to the door.

After Tamara left, John went to sit on the couch with their new baby. "She's daddy little rosebud," John said as he crooned to little Kassia. John then smiled at Blair, hoping she was just as happy as he was.

Blair was sitting next to John and couldn't help but gush over the darling little baby. "She's absolutely perfect!" she said. "I don't even know how to describe her.  
There aren't enough adjectives."

"That's because she really looks like she could be our daughter. Someone up there picked the perfect one for us," said John as he handed the baby girl to her new mommy. He couldn't help but smile, because Blair looked so entirely beautiful holding their new baby daughter. "When the boys get here, we have got to take a lot of pictures," John spoke. "I was thinking of having a family portrait done of all of us, so we could hang it over the fireplace mantle. What do you think, Blair?"

Blair held the precious little girl in her arms. "Yes, we should have a family portrait," she said with a bright smile.

"Hi, Kassia," she said softly. "I hope you like it here. I'm your mommy."

Kassia looked up at Blair, blinked her little eyes, then gurgled. "I think she approves," laughed John. "Do you think she's hungry? Should I go fix a bottle? And ummm... how about her diaper? How do we know when she's wet?"

Blair checked the baby's diaper. "She's dry right now, but I am sure she's hungry," she said to John. "We can both go and fix her the bottle." Blair stood, holding Kassia. It had been a long while since she had held a newborn and she had missed it.

"Okay, I'll hold her and you can fix the bottle this time. I'm going to watch carefully and take some mental notes," said John as he and Blair walked into the kitchen together. He wanted to take an active role in his daughter's care.

"That sounds like a good idea," she said as she handed Kassia to John and then went to the kitchen with him. She showed him carefully how to prepare the bottle as step-by-step she explained the sterilization process.

John watched as Blair prepared the bottle. Soon it was ready and just the right temperature for the baby. John thought he could make it himself now,  
since he had been shown the proper way to prepare the bottles. "I think she's getting hungry," John said, as the baby started rooting around with her little mouth. "Hey now, I don't have boobs!" he said with a laugh.

Blair laughed as she handed John the bottle to feed the baby. "I think Daddy will have to feed you this way,"  
she told Kassia with a little smirk.

John gently pressed the nipple to baby Kassia's lips until the baby caught on and began to drink her bottle. John smiled, seeing his new daughter enjoying her meal. "She's so sweet," John said, softly kissing her tiny head. "She just got here, and already I would do anything for her..."

Blair wrapped her arms around John as she watched him feed Kassia. "I know the feeling," she said softly. "There's just something that makes you want to give the moon and the stars to your children. She's so precious."

"Now I can really understand the deep love you have for Sammy, even though he is not your biological child. I love Sammy and Jack... and I really love this little girl, too," John spoke. "In fact, in my heart, she's 'OURS,' our little girl... and I just can't wait to show her off to the world. Too bad my dad wasn't here to see her. He would have loved a granddaugher." John's heart was sad, because sometimes he really missed his father.

Blair softly kissed John's cheek. "I'm sorry about your dad," she spoke. "I bet he would have."

"And you are right, Sam is my son, regardless of the fact that he was adopted, and I feel the same way about Kassia," she said with a smile. "You're so good with her, John."

John smiled happily at Blair's words. "That's because I always secretly wanted a daughter," he told Blair. "Now Starr's all grown up with a darling little girl of her own... it's great to have this child in our life. She's going to make us feel young again."

"I still can't believe Starr's a woman now. Eighteen... They grow up too fast, John, I just want to keep Kassia as little for as long as we can."

"Once they grow up they go away and hardly come back," she added with sadness.

"At least we are lucky she still lives here in Llanview and we get to see little Hope quite often," John reminded. "And she and Schuyler are a couple. As long as he teaches at the high school here, I doubt they will move. I think it's Jack we gotta worry about. Never before have I seen a 12 year old as girl-crazy as that boy is..." John chuckled when he thought about Jack begging to go on his first date.

"Oh God, please don't remind me," she groaned.

"He's growing up MUCH too fast," she said as her cell phone rang. "Excuse me while I get that..." Blair went to grab her cell phone, finding out it was Starr who was calling.

John continued to feed baby Kassia. After she completed her bottle, he raised her to his shoulder and began to gently pat her back to burp her. He then held her close as he waited to see who Blair had been speaking to on the phone.

Blair had finished talking to Starr. She hung up with a worried look upon her face. "That was Starr," she said to John quietly. "Todd left her a voicemail saying Powell is on the loose in Llanview."

"Powell Lord?" John said in shock. That man was bad news. Several years ago, he had broken out of prison, and he had left a trail of rape victims in Llanview. One woman unfortunately died at his hands. After that, he had been locked up in Statesville Mental Hospital. No one was safe if that guy was out roaming the streets. "Does Bo know about this?" John asked.

"I don't think so, but I'm not sure. Maybe you should call and tell him," she said as a shiver of fear ran down her spine.

Seeing the fearful expression on Blair's face, John reached for the phone. "Yeah, Bo," he said into the phone. "Keep a look-out for Powell Lord. According to Todd Manning, he's broke out of the mental hospital in Statesville.  
If he's out there, Llanview isn't safe." Bo promised to check out Todd's story and get right on top of it, then John hung up the phone.

"Our daughter is sleeping. Shall we put her to bed?" John asked Blair.

Blair nodded, trying not to think of that psycho on loose. "Yeah," she said to her handsome husband. "That's a good idea." She went with John into the nursery they had put together for Kassia so they could tuck in their new baby daughter.

Once in the nursery, John lay little Kassia down in the black wooden crib in the middle of the room. She looked like a precious angel lying there in the crib so small and defenseless. John then reached for Blair, placing a warm kiss upon her brow. "We have a couple of hours before the boys get home from school. What shall we do, sexy?" he asked suggestively. He was hoping to get Blair's mind off of Powell.

Blair could really use the distraction and grabbed John by the shirt pulling him behind her towards their bed. "How about each other?" she said with a smirk as they entered their bedroom.

"You're right," John agreed. "We never do each other enough." At times it was difficult finding adult alone-time with a kindergartener and a pre-teen boy in the house. Now with the new baby added to the equation, they had to take every chance they could get to make love. John pulled Blair to him and began to kiss her as though he were a man starved.

Blair pressed her body to John's as she kissed him passionately. "You can do me whenever you want," she quipped as she grabbed him by his shirt.

John helped Blair remove the shirt, popping the buttons as he carelessly freed it from his body. After it fell to the floor, he worked on the zipper of Blair's dress. He slid the zipper down, watching the fabric of the dress fall down her body. "You look so sexy," he said in thick voice as he began to kiss her full breasts. He nipped at her soft skin, feeling a nipple go hard in his hot mouth.

She let out a moan of pleasure," Oh John," she breathed running her fingers through his jet-black hair.

"Ohhh yeahhh..." she said, feeling his mouth on her nipples. He knew just how to use that sexy mouth.

Blair and John forgot about everything as they became totally lost in one another. And in that moment, neither of them knew that their family would soon experience terror beyond what had been found in their most horrific nightmares.


	11. And Powell Strikes Again

AUTHOR'S NOTE ::: This is the love story of Marty and Todd. It also includes several other characters as well as their storylines. This story will be submitted in several parts and is based off the hit soap One Life to Live, yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story. Not all the parts of this story will contain erotic sex scenes as there is a plot.  
First and foremost, this story is a romance/drama, not a sex story.

Also, I'd like to note that I do not own ABC's One Life to Live or the characters and I will NOT be receiving any payment whatsoever for writing this story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only.

Warning for this chapter ::: Character Death x 2 (There will be no more disclaimers for character death in further chapters.) This chapter may be shocking in more ways than one! Proceed with caution!

Please don't forget to REVIEW...

*~Marty and Todd ::: Chapter Eleven~*

Marty looked worried as she heard Todd mention Powell's name.  
It didn't sound good, and she hoped that Powell hadn't found Starr, Jack or Sammy.

"Todd please!" Tea cried out. "He's going to kill me!"

Powell took the phone away from Tea and began to speaking into it. "Hello,  
Todd," he said snidely.

"Powell," Todd breathed, his eyes going very dark blue when he spoke to the nut who had raped women at Llanview Hospital and had tried to frame him for the crime.

"Yes, it's me... the one and only."

"What do you want, Powell?"

"Marty. I want Marty," said Powell. "Where is she?"

"She can't come to the phone right now," Todd said, as there was no possible way he would ever put Marty on the phone with this psychopath.

"I won't stop until I have her..." Powell threatened. "Shall we make a deal... how about your sexy ex-wife Tea for the woman you so cruelly raped Marty?"

"No!" Todd growled.

"If you don't do what I want, Todd... Tea will die."

"There is no deal, Powell. You'll never touch Marty... EVER," Todd bit out, his jaw clenched.

"What about Tea?" Powell asked.

"It's okay, you can have her," Todd said, as he abruptly disconnecting the call.

He then snapped his phone closed and shoved it back in his pocket. Looking into Marty's eyes, Todd tenderly caressed her cheek. His touch was so soothing, as though to caress away all of her worries. "Now, where were we?"  
he asked softly.

"He's not going to come after me, is he?" Marty asked fearfully. It scared her to think that psycho could come and grab her at any moment, perhaps even when she was sleeping.

Lovingly Todd continued to caress Marty's smooth cheek while gazing deeply into her eyes. "I'd never let him have you," Todd promised. "I told you, I won't let anyone hurt you, Marty... ever again."

He held her so tight, wanting to calm all her fears. Surrounding them were a half dozen windows giving view to a raging storm so close outside.  
Lightening flashed and rain fell, but here, in their hotel room, Todd would protect her and keep her safe. "Forget Powell... Forget Tea. Forget everything," Todd urged. "No one is here... only us."

Marty nodded as she looked at him, leaning in to softly kiss him upon the lips.  
"Just us," she said softly. Nothing else at that moment seemed to matter.

*~o~*

"What did Todd say?" Tea asked Powell urgently when he had hung up the phone.  
"He's coming back here, right?"

"He said I could keep you," Powell said with a sinister laugh.

"No... no... Todd wouldn't say that..." Tea said as heated tears smeared dark trails upon her cheeks.

"You're mine now!" Powell said, coming toward her with the knife in hand.

Minutes later Powell pulled the knife from Tea's flesh after having plunged it deep into her body. She wasn't crying anymore, but neither was she talking and annoying him as she had earlier. Tea DelGado wouldn't annoy anyone ever again. She was very much dead.

Powell licked his knife clean while he thought about his next victim. It was time to prowl.

*~o~*

Todd took Marty's lips in a sweet kiss. Once again his fingers tangled into her hair, holding her head steady. He kissed her with growing hunger, the warmth of the fire nearby playing upon his skin. He forgot everything, as the fire between he and Marty began to rage.

Marty gave herself up to Todd, returning his hungry kiss as she lost herself in him and the moment. She wanted nothing more than Todd as she worked to remove his shirt from his body.

Todd shrugged off his shirt as Marty pulled it away from his hard chest. He then unzipped her black dress, sliding the material off her shoulders. Soon he had the dress pulled down to her waist.

"You're so beautiful," he murmured, loving how the dancing flames of the fire played off her soft skin.

With hot kisses, Todd moved his lips along her neck, across her throat, toward her breasts. Through her sexy bra, Todd wet the lacy fabric with his tongue.  
He then grasped a nipple in his teeth, gently biting it. As he nibbled softly on the hardened nipple, he pressed his body up to hers while she remained on his lap, allowing her to feel the strength of his cock as it grew in his pants.

Marty tipped her head backwards as she let out a moan of pleasure, feeling him biting on her nipple. There was no mistaking his hardness as she felt it pressing against her through his pants.  
She raked her fingers through his hair. "I want you."

Todd teased one nipple with his tongue and then the other. He then raised his head, eyes dark with desire as he gazed into Marty's eyes. "You can have me," he said in a husky voice. Reaching behind her, Todd unhooked her bra. He tossed it aside, his eyes rivetted on her lovely breasts. "I cannot believe I have the most beautiful woman in the world in my arms," he said thickly. He then returned to spreading kisses all over her naked breasts. Hungrily he started feasting upon a nipple.

Marty pushed him onto his back and then rolled them both over until she was lying beneath him. She wrapped a leg around him, pulling him in closer. "Oh yes," she moaned as her body arched up toward his.

"Mmmm... Todd," she cried out as she loved what he was doing with his mouth.

Lying atop Marty, Todd continued to mouth her breasts. Sucking on them hard, he kissed down her belly, pulling her clothing aside until she wore nothing but a sexy pair of dark-blue panties. Gently he bit thruough the material of the crotch, tasting her on the fabric. Brushing the fabric aside, he could see how much she wanted him. "Yummy," he murmured.

Marty smirked. "I'm waiting to feel your tongue... Waiting to feel you licking and tasting."

Todd teased a finger along Marty's slit, catching some of the moisture of her feminine juices. He then rubbed his fingertip against her clit, making it stand up hard. He pinched it lightly between his fingers, then used his tongue to taste her so softly. Pushing the tip of his tongue against her opening, he slowly entered her snug channel. Wiggling his tongue, he managed to slip even more of it inside.

She raised her hips, moaning in pleasure. "Mmmm... Todd," she murmured.

"Yesssss, just like that," she moaned, wanting him to please her all night long.  
She let out a soft gasp of pleasure.

Hearing Marty's moans of desire spurred Todd on. His tongue a hungry animal, it burrowed deeply into her slick channel, tasting and thrusting. He then nibbled on her outer feminine lips while gently giving her clit a twist.

"YESSSS! More," Marty begged. "I want more!"

Giving her one last kinky lick, Todd stood, removing all his clothes.  
His cock stood out in front of him, massively erect. "My cock wants your mouth," he said gruffly, moving over to the couch where Marty lay, so his tip was only about three inches from her beautiful lips.

She didn't hesitate as she gave him the pleasure he had been seeking.  
She was starved, and it wasn't for the steak dinner that Todd had ordered.

"That's it," Todd groaned, brushing her long blond hair from her face as he slowly fed more of his cock into her sweet mouth. Her lips on him, so soft and silky, were driving Todd absolutely wild. He watched her face, his gaze locked to hers while her mouth was locked upon his throbbing cock. "Marty, ohhh baby,  
yessss," Todd hissed as he was pulsated against her tongue.

Marty loved the sounds that he was making as her tongue teased and tormented him. She lost herself in the passion.

Todd groaned again as Marty's lips teased the length of his throbbing cock.  
With a soft popping sound, he pulled his shaft free of the suction of her lips.  
"No more," he said gruffly. "I want to be inside you, baby..." If she suckled on his shaft another second, he was going to spill his seed before he had the pleasure of fucking her.

Marty softly chuckled. "Well, then I think you should be inside of me..."

Todd couldn't have agreed more. He sat down on the couch, pulling Marty back down on his lap once again so she was facing him. Grasping her slim hips in his hands, he eased her down onto his cock. He watched as his tip disappeared into her snug slit. He made no move to enter any further, just held her there.  
"How does that feel?" he said in a low sexy voice.

"I need more," she begged. "So good ... Gimme more, Todd..."

Todd exhaled sharply as she wrapped her arms around him so tight and pleaded for more. She felt so amazing and tight as he slowly lowered her down on his cock, watching the entire length of him disappear into her core. "Ohhh Marty," Todd moaned, intense pleasure overtaking him as he kissed her neck.

She ran her fingers through his hair as she tilted her head backward to give him better access to her neck. "Mmmmm... Todd," she moaned, clutching his shoulders and moving her hips.

Todd felt Marty rocking her hips, sending him deeper. Grasping her ass-cheeks in his big hands, he began to move her slowly up and down on his erection. The entire time his mouth was on her neck, nibbling and suckling. He was going to mark her with his bite. She sunk her long fingernails into his shoulders as as felt his hot mouth and teeth upon her neck.

Their bodies moved together in the dance of love. "You feel so good, Marty," he breathed into her ear. "So tight... so hot. I wanna fuck you so hard... so hard..."

"Ohhh yes, Todd, fuck me hard," begged Marty. "Come on, REALLY hard. I want to feel you."

Todd went wild when he heard Marty's words. Up till now, he had been holding himself in check with her, but he couldn't do it anymore. He wanted her too much...

Still inside her, he stood, walking over to the animal-skin rug situated in front of the fireplace. Lowering Marty onto it, he was atop her. His breath was harsh as he began to thrust, hard and fast, his cock pounding into her fiercely.

She raised her hips to meet his every thrust. "Harder!" she cried out.

Marty's pussy clasped Todd's cock so tight as he began to thrust as hard as he possibly could into her. With every thrust, her body arched to meet his.  
He made animalistic sounds as his cock speared into her sheath again and again.  
"Fuck!" he exclaimed on the verge of exploding.

The harder he was going, the closer Marty came to reaching her climax. Todd was an amazing lover, and right now she was enjoying every moment of the pleasure he was giving her. "Todd!" she gasped.

Pounding hard into Marty with all his strength, Todd exploded. Jets of his hot sperm cascaded against her walls as he came so hard. He was completely blown away by the powerful orgasm. Thrusting roughly, he released the remainder of his hot seed into her slick depths. Seconds later, Marty joined him at the heights of ecstasy.

Todd was totally out of it. His orgasm had been mind-blowing and for a moment he had even forgotten where he was. He had just had the best sex of his life and it had been with the woman he loved. His eyes opened and he saw Marty crushed beneath him. "Ohhh Marty, ohhh God... did I hurt you?" he then asked,  
tenderly cradling her cheek in his hand. He remembered being so rough,  
thrusting hard and deep into her slick heat... again and again. He'd shoot himself if he had hurt this woman who was his very heart.

Marty was catching her breath. "No," she said as kissed him. "I'm fine."

Withdrawing from Marty's moist depths, Todd gathered her up in his arms.  
Gently he carried her over to the bed and lay her down on it's center. His gaze locked to hers, he joined her there. "Are you sure?" he asked in a soft whisper. "I never want to hurt you again, Marty. I wouldn't be able to bear it." He tenderly caressed her cheek as he looked at her with concern. "I love you so much..."

During their lovemaking in the past, Todd had always been considerably careful with Marty, never quite giving all of himself to her. Due to their nightmarish past, he had always feared he would hurt her, and he loved too much to risk causing her any sort of pain. Tonight though had been different, he hadn't been able to hold back the wild demon lurking just under the surface.

"I love you, too, Todd, and I'm sure. I would tell you if you had hurt me," she promised.

"It was fine. I asked you to go harder, remember?" she said to him soothingly. "You didn't hurt me."

As he tenderly caressed Marty's cheek, her words finally reached him. All the tension went out of his shoulders, and he sighed, laying back against the pillows. The rain fell hard against the window behind the bed where they lay,  
leaving lovely silver patterns across the glass. Todd pulled Marty into his embrace, cuddling her against his naked chest. Her long hair trailed across his chest in a soft caress.

*~o~*

Powell couldn't believe the KAD frat house still stood. It had to be the oldest buiding on campus. As he approached it for the second time this night, he decided that this would be the place where he would take Marty and make all his sins up to her. "Marty, I can't wait till you get here... and you'll be mine forever," said Powell as he walked in the front door and took a look around. "What a mess..." he said,  
noticing debris everywhere. It wasn't long before he went upstairs,  
approaching the room where Marty had been raped at the top of the stairs.

Powell walked into the room where it all happened, that very room where he,  
Todd, and Zach had taken turns raping Marty that fateful, long-ago day. There on the floor, in the exact same place the bed had been, Powell saw a mattress.  
Upon that mattress was a woman with long blond hair. "Marty?" Powell asked in a hopeful voice, seeing the woman sit up to look at him.

"Wh-who's Marty? And who are you?" Stacy Morrasco asked. "Why are you here?" Stacy's sister had kicked her out and she had no where to stay, so she had ended up here in this old abandoned building. At first it had seemed better than a park bench, but now Stacy wasn't so sure.

"Marty, don't be afraid. It's me... Powell. I didn't mean it. It was all Todd's fault. I never wanted to rape you that night. Todd made me do it.  
He said I wouldn't be a man if I didn't... I'm so sorry, Marty," Powell said as he took two steps toward the woman and backed her up into a corner.

"I'm here to make it all better for you..."

" I- I don't know what you mean," Stacy stammered. "Look, why don't you just call up this Marty chick and apologize to her, okay? I only wanted a place to stay. I don't have anywhere to go."

"Marty, it's okay. You can stay here with me. We can make this our bedroom. This time we will make love... and it won't be rape. And you can have my baby," said Powell as he gazed at Stacy, seeing Marty standing there in his fucked-up mind. "Give me a kiss, Marty. Show Powell you forgive him."

Stacy scrambled away, tripping in her haste to get away from this crazy man. Who the fuck was Marty? She wished this Marty person would just show up and take this psycho away from her! He scared her.

Reaching out a hand, Powell hesitantly began caressing Stacy's cheek.  
"Don't be afraid of me, Marty. I would never hurt you again..." Powell crooned. He didn't realize it, but his hand was all stained with Tea DelGado's blood.

Stacy felt something sticky on her cheek where he had caressed it. She reached up, touching her cheek and when she brought hand back down, she saw the blood and her eyes grew huge with fear. "No! GET AWAY!" She yelled, turning to run away from him.

"Don't scream like that, Marty. It hurts my ears..." Powell begged as he touched his ears which were stinging from Stacy's cries. "You screamed that night... and we had to put something in your mouth. You don't want me to have to put something in your mouth, do you?" Powell reached into his pants pocket,  
looking for something to shove into Stacy's mouth. The only thing he could find was the bloody knife.

Stacy saw the knife. "Oh my God!" she gasped as she attempted to back away.

"Please no! Okay I won't scream," she bargained in a hiccupy sob. "Please, just put that away." She was trembling in fear now as she backed up, hitting the wall behind her.

Powell had her backed up to the wall and now there was absolutely no where for her to go. He looked down at the bloody knife clutched in his hand. He smiled as he began licking the stained blade. "It's okay, Marty... I won't hurt you with it," he said. "I only want to play a little."

Stacy looked incredibly terrified as she was shaking. "O-okay then, we can play;  
I'll play anything you want, just put the knife away," she pleaded.

"Do you forgive me for all the things I've done, Marty?" Powell asked as he pocketed the knife. "It wasn't my fault... none of it. It was all Todd's idea. He wanted to hurt you. You know that, don't you?"

"Yes," Stacy said quickly.

"Yes, I forgive you. Todd is horrible... horrible," Stacy said, playing along.

"Lie down on the bed over there, Marty... let me show you how good it can be..." Powell suggested as he began playing with the zipper of his fly.

"C-Can't we just talk or something?" she asked nervously. "I mean- who says we have to have sex?"

"Would you like to talk about the night I raped you? Or would you rather talk about all those women I raped in the hospital... or the one I killed?"  
Powell asked. "Or maybe we could talk about the woman I killed last night...  
Todd's ex wife. He said he didn't even want her anymore, and that I could keep her.  
I let her play with my knife..."

Stacy's face went white. "N-no," she whispered," That's okay...I'll - I'll just do what you want me to. I'll go lay down on the bed," She'd comply with this psycho; she didn't want to die. This guy was undeniably nuts.

Powell watched as Stacy made herself comfortable on the old mattress. "See,  
that's not so bad, is it?" he said as he joined her on the stained and smelly mattress. "This time I won't have to lock the door, just like Todd and Zach made me do that night. And Todd isn't here, so no one will have to tie your hands. And it was Zach that put that sweat band into your mouth, wasn't it?"

"Marty, I don't want to hurt you this time... Take off all your clothes,"  
Powell suddenly insisted.

Stacy hands were shaking as she started to get undressed. Why her? She should have just stayed on that stupid park bench.

"Ohhh Marty, you look so beautiful," Powell said as he took in the sight of Stacy's full breasts. He reached out and fondled one.

"Take off your panties, Marty," he insisted. Stacy was too scared to speak as she removed the panties. She whimpered as he fondled one of her breasts.

Powell's interest peaked when Stacy removed her thong-like panties and tossed them aside. He was staring at Stacy, but all he could see in his twisted mind was Marty. Stacy just wanted this to be over, so she could get far away from this nut-job. She had a sick feeling in the in the pit of her stomach.

"Marty, I'm sorry," Powell said in a sneer.

"Please don't hurt me," Stacy pleaded.

"Turn over!" Powell growled. "Do it! Now!" He flashed the knife in front of her face, thinking perhaps he should just kill her and get it over with!

Stacy turned over quietly on the mattress, wondering what this creep was going to do to her. He was going to kill her; she could feel it.

Powell looked at Stacy's plump asscheeks as she lay upon on the mattress.  
"What a nice ass you have, Marty..." Powell said as he fondled her buttcheeks.  
He took the handle of the knife and began tracing the cleft of her ass with it.

Stacy swallowed, feeling the knife as he started to trace the cleft of her ass. She didn't want to die not like this, at the hands of a crazy man.

Powell continued to play with the knife, sliding it up and down the cleft of Stacy's ass. "Marty, tonight it will end. I will end your suffering now and forever," he said. "No longer will you be tormented by what Todd, Zach, and I did that long-ago night." He then pressed the blade of the knife against Stacy's spine.

"B-but I forgave you... is this really necessary?" Stacy asked.

"I will silence you forever. Never to feel pain, never to remember what I did to hurt you that night," Powell said, as he dug the blade of the knife into Stacy's soft flesh. Before she could say another word, he rammed the blade deeply into the back of her neck.

Stacy's body went limp. Her eyes were wide open as she lay face-down on the old mattress. Blood poured from her wound, seeping into the mattress to mark her death.

As she lay there dead, Powell began licking the knife once again. After it was clean, he shoved it back into his pocket. He kicked Stacy's body, turning it over. "What?" he growled, suddenly realizing after his kill that this WAS NOT Marty Saybrooke. In killing this woman, he wouldn't get back at Todd at all.

*~o~*

After a delicious steak dinner, Marty curled up with Todd, laying her head upon his chest.  
She was so content, she nearly fell asleep until she heard Paloma cry.

Todd had pulled a blanket over their naked bodies as they had settled in bed, cuddling in each other's arms. He felt blessedly content, now that he was no longer on the lumpy couch and had the woman he loved in his embrace. Todd nearly dozed off when Marty stirred against him, hearing the baby's cry. "What is it... What's wrong?" Todd asked, stiffening.

Marty sat up, looking almost frightened. "I don't know... It's Paloma," she said as rushed out of the bed, throwing on her clothing a bit haphazardly. She hurried over toward the sound of her baby's piercing cry.

Paloma had kicked off her blanket in the night and she lay there crying in the middle of the portable crib. Todd got up and quickly, putting on his boxers.  
"Is she okay?" he called out to Marty while running his fingers through his trousled dark-blond hair.

"I think so. It looks like she just kicked off the blanket." She reached into the portable crib, taking the baby into her embrace along with her blanket. Paloma continued to whimper as Marty crooned to her soothingly.

Todd watched as Marty approached, holding their daughter close. "Come here,"  
he said to her, reaching out his arms to her and Paloma. "We need to talk about something."

Marty went to him hesitantly. "Why do I get the feeling this is something I'd rather not know?" she asked, as she held Paloma.

Todd wrapped his arms around Paloma and Marty as the three of them sat on the bed. "I love you both so much, you know that, don't you?" he asked softly,  
kissing the top of Marty's head. He then kissed Paloma's plump little cheek.

"We gotta go back to Llanview, Marty. I can't let anyone else die.  
Starr, Sammy, and Jack could be in danger as well as other people we love. I can't run from this like a coward," Todd said to her. "I think Powell may have harmed Tea last night... at least he was threatening to hurt her. Who knows who might be next. He's not going to stop until I do what must be done. I have to kill him."

Marty's eyes were huge with fear, but she knew there was no other way. "I guess you are right...but Todd he scares me. That man really scares me," she said as she held their daughter close. "I don't like Tea, but I don't want her dead either. No one deserves to die at the psycho's hands."

"No, not even Tea deserves that," Todd said as he caressed his fingers softly through Marty's long hair. He didn't want to tell her that Powell had wanted him to trade Marty for Tea, because that would just upset her more. "I'm sorry we have to cut our little 'vacation' short, but I think we should pack up now and get back to Llanview. We gotta make sure everyone is alright."

Marty nodded. "Alright," she said with a sigh as she put Paloma into her car seat carefully and began to pack their things for the return trip to Llanview.

Todd took the portable baby crib down and then helped Marty pack up their last minute items. It wasn't long before they were in the car, leaving Statesville and driving back toward Llandview. While he was driving, he withdrew his cell phone and placed a call to Blair. Unfortunately, he just got the voice mail. "Blair, I assume you are busy right now with John, but listen to me.  
Starr and the boys are in danger. I'll meet you at your place in two hours...  
we need to talk," Todd warned.

As they drove home, Marty hoped that Powell had just gotten bored and disappeared. Perhaps he was no longer in Llanview. She knew it was unlikely, but even so, she was hoping Powell was no where near anyone they loved.

As he drove, Todd glanced over at Marty. He reached across the distance between them and took her hand into his, giving it a light squeeze. "I love you, Marty Saybrooke. After this is all over... will you marry me?" Todd asked. He then just held his breath, waiting for Marty's answer.

Meanwhile, at the frat house, a madman went to the closet and withdrew a garbage bag. Inside the bag was Tea DelGado's stiff, dead body. He ripped the bag open and lay Tea down next to his other victim. "Don't be sad, girls," he said to the corpses. "I will play with you soon... but first, I gotta go hunting..."


	12. Hope

AUTHOR'S NOTE ::: This is the love story of Marty and Todd. It also includes several other characters as well as their storylines. This story will be submitted in several parts and is based off the hit soap One Life to Live, yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story. Not all the parts of this story will contain erotic sex scenes as there is a plot.

First and foremost, this story is a romance/drama, not a sex story. Also, I'd like to note that I do not own ABC's One Life to Live or the characters and I will NOT be receiving any payment whatsoever for writing this story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only.

*~Marty and Todd ::: Chapter Twelve~*

Powell walked down the streets of Llanview toward Dorian Lord's home. It was very dark and the streets were deserted. He saw a teenage girl walking around in the livingroom, but no one else appeared to be home. He had his connections and he knew that Todd and Marty's grandchild, Hope was staying here. Knowing she was probably in a room upstairs, Powell began climbing the trellis along the side of the house.

Powell stood on a balcony on the second floor of Dorian's. Looking in the window, he saw a clear view of a baby crib. "Hope," he said in a whisper,  
pushing the sliding door open and walking into the house. There in the crib was a sleeping 14-month-old baby girl.

"Come to Uncle Powell," said the psychopath as he reached into the crib. Hope didn't even cry as he took her into his arms.

Powell returned to the frat house, Hope in tow. He couldn't believe how easy it had been to kidnap the child. "So, you're the grandchild of Todd and Marty?" Powell said to Hope as he sat her down on the floor. Hope looked at the strange guy and began to cry. She wanted her mommy. She was hungry and her diaper was wet.

Powell frowned when Hope began to cry. He had no clue how to care for a little baby. "I think it's time we gave your Grandpa Todd a little call,"  
Powell said to the fussy little girl who was playing in the dirt and debris on the floor of the frat house. "I hope he brings you a cookie or something and shuts you up!"

*~o~*

Marty looked at Todd in surprise. "You mean that? You really want to marry me?"  
she asked. She wanted to scream yes, but had to know if he was being serious.

A small smile came to Todd's face. "Yes, I want to marry you, Marty... I love you so much," he said as he raised her hand to his lips and gently kissed it. "Give me something to fight for..."

Marty's face lit up in a brilliant smile. "Yes, Todd, I'll marry you," she said. She couldn't believe it but it was true; Todd, herself and Paloma were soon to be a family. All their dreams were coming true.

Todd's heart soared when Marty said 'yes.' Now all he had to do was work on this problem of getting rid of Powell Lord once and for all, then he and Marty could be married. Todd couldn't have been happier, thinking of the day Marty would become his wife. "Thank you, Marty," Todd said to her as he raised her hand to his lips to kiss it again. "For the rest of my life, all I care about is making you happy. I promise, as soon as this is all over and Powell is out of our lives forever, we will be married and we can start our lives together...  
leaving our painful and tragic past behind."

"That's exactly what I want, Todd. I want to forget our horrible past and make a new bright future with our family. I want us to be happy."

Todd returned Marty's smile. "We will be happy," he promised. "You mean everything to me... and after everything we have been through... I never thought we COULD be this happy..."

Todd's speech was cut short, because his cell phone began ringing persistantly. Todd reached for it, seeing that the caller appeared to be Tea.  
"Tea?" he said into the phone urgently, hoping she would tell him that she was alright and that Powell hadn't harmed her as he had threatened the night before.

"No, Todd... it's Powell. Tea can't come to the phone right now," he said with an evil laugh. "In fact, she'll never speak again..."

"Powell, what did you do to Tea?" Todd demanded.

"You have greater worries than that slut Tea," Powell spoke with a vicious sneer. "I have a little girl here... about a year old... and from what I understand, she's your granddaughter. Want me to put her on the phone?"

"Hope?" Todd cried out in alarm. At first he thought Powell was bluffing,  
but then he heard the distinct sound of a baby crying in the background. Todd's heart sank, realizing that Powell had his wicked hands on his baby granddaughter.

"Yep, that's her name... She's not a happy camper right now. I'm about ready to shut her up ... permanently," Powell said with a growl.

"Powell, if you harm her..." Todd began, clutching the phone in his fist.

"Meet me where it all began... don't bring any cops..." Powell insisted. "And come alone."

"Ohhh and by the way," Powell added. "I killed Marty."

Todd didn't have a chance to say another word ... Powell had hung up.

*~o~*

Blair had been upset when she had gotten the mysterious call from Todd. Somehow she knew it had to be about Powell Lord. She prayed that that her family was not in danger as she waited for the boys to come home from school. She wouldn't stop worrying until she knew that her kids were safe.

John had sandwiches and potato chips ready for the boys after school. He watched out the window as Sammy and Jack stepped off the school bus at the curb and then walked up to the door. "Hi guys," John said, as he greeted his stepsons. "I made sandwiches. Is anyone hungry?"

"I am!" exclaimed Sammy.

"I'm starved," replied Jack.

Blair was so relieved when she heard their excited voices; her boys were okay.  
No matter what the situation, she assured herself that John could handle anything and that they were all in capable hands.

John set the chips and sandwiches on the table and the boys started digging into the food. "This is really good," Jack said approvingly. Sammy went to get two Cokes from the fridge they could enjoy with their food.

John still felt uneasy, despite the fact the boys had made it home okay. He had a bad feeling about all this Powell business. He didn't know why, but he had this nagging worry that perhaps someone was in trouble.

"How was school, boys?" Blair asked.

"School was fun," Sammy said happily. "We played dodge ball outside."

"Cyndi said I'm cute," Jack announced as he stuffed his face with chips.

John would have laughed if he wasn't so uptight about Powell Lord. With Todd on his way there, John was pretty sure that someone was in danger.

Blair needed a distraction even if it was something as childish such as listening to her son talk about his crush at school. "Well, you're a Manning, so of course she thinks you're cute," she said to Jack with a nervous smile.

In that same instant, someone pulled up in the driveway, tires screeching on the pavement. Blair ran to the window, at first thinking it was Todd. Looking over at John in alarm, Blair said, "It's Starr and Schuyler!"

John met them at the front door, alarm in his eyes. "What's going on?"  
asked John.

"Someone has taken Hope," Schuyler said sadly.

*~o~*

Marty's expression was one of intense fear as she had overheard Todd's side of his conversation with Powell. What in the world was going on? She sat stiff in her seat as she waited for Todd to tell her what was happening. Fear gripped her heart as she sat next to him, hoping and praying that Powell's evil had been contained.

Todd tossed his cell phone aside with anger and frustration. "Powell has Hope," he said as he slammed his hand hard against the steering wheel. "He's taken Starr's little girl, our granddaughter." Todd saw red as he continued speeding back to Llanview, rushing back as fast as he could so he could help rescue his daughter's child.

"Oh dear God," Marty said. "Is Starr okay? Did he hurt her too before he took Hope?" Despite Powell's past evils, she couldn't believe he would stoop so low as to go after an innocent, defenseless baby.

"I don't know the details, all I know is what Powell said... and I could hear the baby crying in the background," Todd said as he continued to drive towards Llanview. "He said to meet him in the place where it all began... and to come alone."

Marty's eyes went wide when she heard Todd's words. "Are you going alone? Can you handle that?" She didn't think she wanted to know if he was really going alone. Fear gripped her heart, thinking Todd was probably going to get himself killed.

"Marty, I don't want anyone else to be hurt... don't argue with me on this,"  
Todd said in a steely tone. "Let's just get there... and then you and Paloma can stay at John and Blair's. I don't want either of you hurt."

Todd's knuckles were white as he drove... and finally, after what seemed like hours, though really not, they arrived in Llanview.

Marty sighed as they drove into Llanview and pulled up at the McBain residence. Something told her this wasn't going to be much fun, her staying with John and his new wife, who just so happened to be Todd ex-wife. "Just be careful," she pleaded, placing her hand upon his arm.

Gently, Todd kissed Marty on the lips as they were parked in John and Blair's driveway. "Always," he said softly. "I'm coming back to you..."

He let her get Paloma from the backseat, then the two of them walked up to the front door. "Manning," John acknowledged Todd as Marty and Todd stepped inside the doorway.

Todd looked at Starr and saw all her tears. "Hey, it's going to be okay,"  
he said, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close to comfort her. "I'll get Hope back for you, I promise."

"Yeah, and how are you going to do that?" John asked, wondering if Todd knew exactly what he would be getting himself into if he went after Powell Lord.

"I know where Powell is; he has Hope, and I'm going after him," Todd announced. 


	13. Where It All Began

AUTHOR'S NOTE ::: This is the love story of Marty and Todd. It also includes several other characters as well as their storylines. This story will be submitted in several parts and is based off the hit soap One Life to Live, yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story. Not all the parts of this story will contain erotic sex scenes as there is a plot.

First and foremost, this story is a romance/drama, not a sex 'S NOTE ::: This is the love story of Marty and Todd. It also includes several other characters as well as their storylines. This story will be submitted in several parts and is based off the hit soap One Life to Live, yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story. Not all the parts of this story will contain erotic sex scenes as there is a plot.

*~Marty and Todd ::: Chapter Thirteen~*

"Wait, I'll go with you," Schuyler spoke up. "Hope will need me while you are taking care of that creep Powell."

"He said to come alone," Todd disagreed.

"No way you are going alone," John said as he placed his hand on his gun. "I'm going, too."

"Alright, let's go," Todd said reluctantly. "But let me go in first... We don't want him to hurt Hope, just because I didn't follow his orders."

Just then Jack ran up to his father. "Dad, can I go too?" the boy begged.

"No, Jack, stay here and take care of the women," Todd told his son.

"Schuyler, please be careful," Starr said tearfully as she watched them all get ready to go, her dad, her stepdad and her boyfriend. She prayed to God that they could bring Hope back to her safe and sound.

Schuyler gave Starr a quick kiss. "I'll be careful," he promised.

"This shouldn't take long," John spoke as he gazed into Blair's eyes.

Marty was holding Paloma who was still asleep in her arms as the men were getting ready to walk out the door. She hoped it would go well and that they wouldn't do anything stupid.

Todd glanced over at Marty holding Paloma in her arms. "I'll be back," he whispered in her ear before he headed out the door. John and Schuyler weren't far behind Todd. The three of them got into Todd's car and sped away.

Starr couldn't help but pace back and forth, her heart diving into her stomach.  
She sank down onto one of the steps that led upstairs, burying her face in her hands.

"Starr ~ honey," Blair spoke. "I could fix you a sandwich. Your brother's are-." Blair was cut off as Kassia started to cry upstairs.

"Oh, ummm... excuse me," she said, walking by Starr to head upstairs.

Marty raised an eyebrow, and Starr looked confused after Blair's exit. A few moments later Blair came back down holding a newly changed Kassia. It had been time for a diaper change, so now Kassia was wide awake.

"Mom?" Starr said, looking at Blair questioningly.

"Starr...this is Kassia," she said. Your new baby sister."

"What did you do, Blair, pop one out and then shrink back to a perfect size overnight?" Marty asked saracastically as she stood there holding Paloma.

Blair narrowed her eyes at Marty. "You'd love to know, wouldn't you, Marty?"

"Oh- oh wait," Marty said with a small laugh. "Or were you so desperate because I had Todd's baby that you had to steal one... I mean, since you're past your prime and all?"

Blair glared at the other woman. "Don't you dare stand in my house and insult me!"

"Why not, Blair? Can't take the truth?"

"What John and I choose to do with our life is none of your business! You're just bitter because you had Todd's kid and not John's," Blair said with a smirk.

"Both of you - SHUT UP!" Starr yelled, jumping to her feet and glaring at the two women. "You should both be thankful that your children are all safe and sound. My daughter ISN'T! A psycho killer has her and my boyfriend might be walking into danger along with your husband and your- your ... well, whatever my dad is to you! YOU TWO MAKE ME SICK," Starr said with disgust as she walking away and went into the kitchen to get a bottle of water.

"Are you happy now?" Blair demanded. "You've upset my daughter!"

"No, I think that was you, Blair, when you tried replacing her with a younger and cuter version."

"I wish Powell would come and kill you," Blair said nastily. "It would save all us all the agony of having to listen to your insipid little voice."

Marty sneered at Blair's comment and the two women retreated to separate corners for now,  
holding their infant daughters.

Starr leaned against the kitchen counter, just praying for Schuyler to make it back to her. *Please God, just let Schuy be okay ... and please, PLEASE let him bring Hope back to me.*  
she silently prayed.

*~o~*

Todd, John, and Schuyler arrived at the frat house. Todd parked the car in a hidden place down the street, then went on in alone, so Powell would not realize he had brought along some back-up. "What the hell is Manning up to?" John growled, watching from the shadows as Todd walked up to the KAD house as though it were some sort of casual, everyday thing to confront a psychopathic killer.

"I don't know, but I am hoping he doesn't get us all killed," Schuyler said with a sigh as he hid behind some shrubbery across the street next to John.

Once inside the frat house, Todd was met with darkness. "Come out, come out,  
wherever you are!" Todd called out as he shown a flashlight around the place. He looked around, but saw nothing. He didn't hear a baby crying and the place looked delapitated and deserted. He began walking up the tall, narrow staircase leading to the rooms above.

Standing at the top of the stairs, Todd saw the door to the room where the rape had taken place. Almost 20 years ago, his life had changed in that room forever. He felt a sensation of nausea in the pit of his stomach as he pushed against the door and it slowly came open.

"What the fuck?" he gasped as he walked in, seeing candles lit all over the room on wooden stands.

In the place where the bed once stood was now filthy, stained mattress. Upon the mattress lay two dead women. Todd stared in disgust as he saw the bloody corpses. "Tea?" he gasped, recognizing his ex-wife as one of the victims.

"Hello, Todd," Powell spoke as he stood in the doorway directly behind Todd, holding a squirming Hope in his arms.

Todd turned quickly, seeing Powell Lord blocking the doorway, his baby granddaughter in his embrace. "Powell, give me the child," Todd insisted.

"Your life for hers, Todd," Powell said with a wicked laugh.

*~o~*

"Let's go in..." John said to Schuyler as he saw a flickering light in an upstairs bedroom of the frat house.

"Alright," answered Schuyler as the two of them approached the KAD fraternity house.

*~o~*

"Okay," Todd reasoned with the mad-man. "You can do whatever you want to me... just let me get the baby to safety."

"I think she looks like Marty," Powell said as he turned the little girl around and raised her up to look at her. Little Hope let out a whimper of protest when Powell held her too tight. The child began to kick and squirm in an attempt to get down.

Todd took that moment to move closer, reaching out for his grandchild. He touched Hope's little arm, but Powell jerked the child away. "Don't touch her!" Powell said in a loud shout.

*~o~*

Downstairs, John and Schuy could hear the commotion. "Come on!" John yelled as he began taking the stairs two by two.

With no regard for his own safety, Todd began wrestling with Powell. He took hold of Hope and wrenched her out of the killer's arms. Cradling the little girl close, he looked her over to see if she was unharmed.

"It's okay, Hope," he said soothingly as he kissed her tiny cheek.

Suddenly he felt a crushing pain in his chest as Powell's shiny knife made contact with his torso. In that instant, he saw Schuyler and John approaching and handed off the baby to Schuyler. Schuy took Hope in his arms and rushed back down the staircase with her, his only concern the child and getting her safety.

"Die, Todd! DIE!" Powell hissed, sending the knife in his grip deeper into Todd's chest. Todd's legs buckled beneath him as he fell to the ground in the same moment a gunshot split the night.

From his cell phone, John called 911. Todd was bleeding heavily from the wound on his chest, but there was no hope for that scum Powell Lord. He was dead. John looked around, finding two bodies on the floor. "Damn," he said,  
noticing that one of the victims was attorney Tea DelGado. He placed a second call to Bo, telling him what had happened. Bo said he would get there as soon as possible and take care of the scene.

An ambulance arrived a few minutes later and John watched as Todd was taken away on a stretcher. Only then did he go outside in search of Schuyler. Schuyler was on the front steps of the frat house, comforting Hope. The little girl was dirty, scared, and crying but otherwise unharmed.

"She okay?" John asked.

"She's fine; she just needs her mother," Schuyler explained.

"Let's go," said John.

A few minutes later, Schuy walked in the door, carrying Hope. He placed the child into her mother's arms. The little girl cried as she was hungry and in great need of diaper change.

Relief was the first thing Starr felt as she accepted the baby from Schuyler. With Schuyler by her side, Starr washed her daughter's tiny face and hands. Tears fell from Starr's eyes as she cradled her daughter close.

"Schuy, I'm so glad you're okay; that Hope's okay," Starr spoke.

Schuyler remained at Starr's side as she changed little Hope. Soon the baby's cries just became tiny whimpers when she realized she was safe and back in her mommy's arms. "She's okay," Schuyle assured Starr when he saw all her tears. "She just needs something to eat."

John had rushed over to Blair, holding her close. He had no idea how he would explain to the Blair, Marty, and Starr that Todd had been injured by Powell. He looked around, relieved that at least the boys weren't present to hear the news.

"What's going on here?" Marty questioned, realizing that Todd hadn't came in with John and Schuyler.

"Powell is dead," John spoke. "I shot him."

Then he let out a heavy sigh, his gaze shifting to Marty. "Marty, you better get to the hospital,"  
he quietly spoke.

Blair was relieved as she embraced John, knowing he was alive and well. "I'm glad that psycho is dead..." she began, but her voice suddenly trailed away hearing John's urgent statement to Marty that she needed to get over to the hospital.

"John, what happened?" Blair demanded.

"What?" Marty gasped fearfully. "Where's Todd? John, what happened?"

"Todd insisted he go into the frat house alone... and he wouldn't listen to me. He rescued the baby from Powell and handed her off to Schuyler, but Powell attacked him. He was hurt; stabbed in the chest... and taken to the hospital," John explained. "Marty, you better head over there now. It doesn't look good."

Marty's face went completely white and she looked as though she might pass out.  
"No," she said, her voice nothing more than a whimper.


	14. Shall We Elope?

AUTHOR'S NOTE ::: This is the love story of Marty and Todd. It also includes several other characters as well as their storylines. This story will be submitted in several parts and is based off the hit soap One Life to Live, yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story. Not all the parts of this story will contain erotic sex scenes as there is a plot.  
First and foremost, this story is a romance/drama, not a sex 'S NOTE ::: This is the love story of Marty and Todd. It also includes several other characters as well as their storylines. This story will be submitted in several parts and is based off the hit soap One Life to Live, yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story. Not all the parts of this story will contain erotic sex scenes as there is a plot.

*~Marty and Todd ::: Chapter Fourteen~*

"Oh God!" Marty gasped as she ran out the door with Paloma to get to the hospital as fast as she could. When she arrived there, holding her baby girl,  
she demanded to be told of Todd Manning's condition.

At the hospital, Todd was taken to surgery to have his wound repaired. Luckily the knife hadn't pierced any vital organs. He lay there, trying to make sense of what had happened as bright lights shone in his eyes, stinging them.

"Marty!" he cried out as he lay in his hospital bed directly after surgery.

A nurse lead Marty down the hallway to Todd's hospital room. He lay in the bed, trying to focus on her face. "Marty, is that you?" he whispered softly,  
his voice hoarse. "Where is she? Where's Hope? Is our granddaughter okay?"

"Todd, are YOU okay?" Marty asked as she stood there holding their daughter. "Hope is fine. Schuyler brought her to Starr. John said Powell stabbed you. God, I was so scared after he told me that you had been taken to the hospital."

"Yeah, Powell stabbed me," Todd said, touching his chest and feeling a huge bandage there. "But don't worry, Marty, I'm too mean to die..."

"Thank God Hope is okay. I got to hold her in my arms, Marty," Todd said as he lay back against the pillows. "What about Powell?"

"You are not too mean to die; don't say that," Marty said scoldingly.

"It's over, Todd. Powell's dead," Marty stated. "John shot him."

"What was it like holding Hope?" she asked, knowing it must have been incredible for him to have been near his granddaughter.

"It was amazing... incredible," Todd said to Marty as his eyes lit up when speaking about Hope. "She's our granddaughter..."

"She must be so beautiful," Marty said.

Then after it hit him that Powell had been killed, Todd said, "Thank God that psycho asshole is dead. He murdered Tea." Todd closed his eyes, the thought of his ex-wife's murder incredibly unsettling. Although he hadn't loved Tea,  
he had once been very intimate with her, and the thought of Powell torturing her just didn't set right with him, no matter how infurating and annoying Tea had sometimes been.

When she heard about Tea, Marty's heart ached for Todd. "Oh gosh, Todd, I'm so sorry."

"At least Powell won't be hurting anyone ever again. Are you sure Hope is alright?" asked Todd.

"She's with her mommy now. She's perfectly fine. But if you're that worried you can hire a permanent bodyguard for her," Marty pointed out gently.

Todd nodded when Marty mentioned hiring a bodyguard to protect Hope. "Yeah,  
that's what I will do," he said softly as he reached across the space between them to take Marty's hand into his.

"I want to get out of this hospital and take you and Paloma home," Todd said as he looked into Marty's eyes. "You and I have plans, remember?"

Marty's face lit up into a smile. "Yes, we do. We're going to get married," she said.  
"As soon as the nurse says its okay for you to go home."

"I better get the fuck out of this place then," he said with a smile. "We gotta make some wedding plans."

~*o*~

Todd was doing fairly well, so after a bunch of pleading on his part, the doctor let him leave the hospital earlier than planned. When he got home, he immediately got on the phone and called to have a bodyguard for his place as well as making sure that a bodyguard was posted near Blair and John's house for the sake of the boys. He also made sure that a bodyguard would stay near Hope and Starr at all times.

Next on the agenda was to get his tool shed cleaned up and get all signs of Powell and his sick deeds removed from the premises. A cleaning crew came in and washed away all signs of Powell's murder of Tea. After they left, Todd couldn't help but stare off into space, remembering his stormy relationship with Tea.

Marty had just bathed Paloma and had dressed her up in silk and ribbons.  
"Shall we go see Daddy?" she asked.

"Hmmm... I know you love cuddling him, because I do, too," she said with a smile as she went in downstairs in search of Todd.

Marty walked into the foyer holding a newly bathed Paloma in her arms as Todd stared out the window, lost in his own thoughts. He turned and smiled at the woman he loved. "Hey, beautiful," he said as he reached out and caressed Marty's hair. He then smiled at Paloma, seeing the baby's sweet smile. "And hello to you, too, Princess," he said to his daughter.

"Hey, handsome," she said with a smile.

"She was missing you," Marty said as she watched Todd talking to Paloma.  
"I think she likes cuddling with Daddy."

Todd took his little daughter in his arms, holding her close against his chest. "Ohh yeah... well, I missed her too," he said as he stroked Paloma's fuzzy little head.

"Daddy didn't like hospital food... and he missed you and your mama's smiling face,"  
he spoke to his daughter.

"I'm glad to be home," Todd told Marty. "Now we can finally move on with our lives."

"Yes, we can. And I can't wait," she admitted. "We will finally have peace and can be together. I love it, and I am looking forward to it so much."

"I was thinking about a romantic wedding in the park since the weather is absolutely beautiful. We'll invite my sister Vicki and all our friends... Ohhh no... wait, I don't have any friends," Todd said with a little laugh. "I would invite my niece Jessi and her boyfriend, but since she's Tess right now, that's completely out of the question... considering Tess and I can't be within three feet of each other without being at each other's throats. So... I don't know who we will invite. I guess it will just be you, me, Vicki, Paloma, and Sam and Jack.  
Do you think that Starr and Schuyler would come and bring Hope? I really want them to be there, too."

"And after that, we can have a little reception... then head off for our honeymoon. Where would you like to go?" Todd asked with a grin. "Somewhere really romantic... maybe the beach? We can go anywhere you want..."

Marty returned his grin, amused with Todd's excitement. "Well, it wouldn't hurt to send an invitation to Starr, Schuyler and Hope," she said. "At least they'll know that you do want them there. I don't have many friends either except for Nora and Jessica,  
whom like you said isn't around right now."

"Alright, now that we have that settled, all the people we plan to invite to the big event... what about our honeymoon? I was thinking something very romantic, just the two of us. I'm sure Vicki wouldn't mind watching Paloma for a few days. Where would you like to go?"

"A tropical island somewhere with beaches... and oh God, wouldn't that be wonderful?" Marty said happily. "Yes, I think Vicki wouldn't mind... she loves you and adores kids, and Paloma is such a good baby."

"Of course she loves me. I'm her little brother," Todd said with a grin. "I may have been a snake. But she always forgave all mistakes... and she always believed in me, oftentimes when no one else would."

"A tropical island. I like that idea. You and me on the beach. Let's get married ASAP," Todd said eagerly. "I can't wait until you are mine forever."

Marty grinned excitedly as she threw her arms around Todd and let out a happy squeel. "I am so excited now! Let's get married right away!" she agreed. "Oh my gosh,  
I need a dress and shoes! And Paloma needs clothes, too!"

"I just got another idea," Todd said as he gazed into Marty's eyes and saw all of her excitement. "Let's forget all that... Why don't we elope? I want to do it... NOW..."

Marty's eyes went wide in surprise. "But what will we tell Vicki? we can't just drop Paloma off with her or do you plan to take her with us or...?" Marty questioned.

"I'll take care of Vicki... Don't worry," Todd said as he placed a soft tender kiss onto Marty's lips. "She'd do anything for her little brother. And she has Natalie there to help her out. Gather some stuff for our honeymoon and a bag for Paloma. I'll call Vicki right now."

"Alright," she agreed, giving Todd a smile before hurrying off to pack her bags for the honeymoon. After she had her luggage ready, she packed a few items for Paloma who would be staying with Vicki.

Todd got on the phone and called his sister. Vicki wanted Todd to be happy so she agreed to keep Paloma for a few days so Todd and Marty could elope and go on their honeymoon. After hanging up with Vicki, Todd called and made the plane reservations along with arrangements for the tropical island honeymoon.

"Everything is settled," he told Marty when he joined her upstairs to pack a bag of his own items for the trip. "Are you ready to become Mrs. Todd Manning?"

Marty had just finished packing when Todd came upstairs, announcing that they were going to be married that very night. A smile overtook her face when she heard his words.  
"I am so ready," she said excitedly. "I am finally going to be your wife!"

"Yes, Finally," Todd said as he pulled her into his arms and gazed down at her lovely face. "After all the shit we've gone through... finally, we get to be together... and nothing... NOTHING is gonna fuck it up." He grabbed their bags, swinging them over his shoulder, and then at last they were ready to go. 


	15. Isn't it Ironic, Ya Think?

AUTHOR'S NOTE ::: This is the love story of Marty and Todd. It also includes several other characters as well as their storylines. This story will be submitted in several parts and is based off the hit soap One Life to Live, yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story. Not all the parts of this story will contain erotic sex scenes as there is a plot.

First and foremost, this story is a romance/drama, not a sex 'S NOTE ::: This is the love story of Marty and Todd. It also includes several other characters as well as their storylines. This story will be submitted in several parts and is based off the hit soap One Life to Live, yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story. Not all the parts of this story will contain erotic sex scenes as there is a plot.

*~Chapter Fifteen - Isn't it Ironic, Don't Ya Think?~*

Song Lyrics :

"Ironic" by ALANIS MORISSETTE

An old man turned ninety-eight He won the lottery and died the next day It's a black fly in your Chardonnay It's a death row pardon two minutes too late And isn't it ironic... don't you think?

It's like rain on your wedding day It's a free ride when you've already paid It's the good advice that you just didn't take Who would've thought... it figures

Mr. Play It Safe was afraid to fly He packed his suitcase and kissed his kids goodbye He waited his whole damn life to take that flight And as the plane crashed down he thought "Well isn't this nice..."  
And isn't it ironic... don't you think?

It's like rain on your wedding day It's a free ride when you've already paid It's the good advice that you just didn't take Who would've thought... it figures...

*~o~*

At Vicki's, Todd kissed his baby girl goodbye. "Be a good girl, Princess. Daddy loves you," he said to Paloma as he hugged her close and put a kiss on her tiny cheek. He then gave Paloma to Marty so she had a chance to say her goodbyes to their precious daughter.

Marty hugged and kissed Paloma as well. "I love you, baby. Daddy and I will be back before you know it," she said as she gave her daughter a final hug before handing her to Vicki.

"You two have a wonderful time, and I promise to take great care of your sweet little girl here," Vicki said as she hugged Todd tight. "It's good to see you so happy, Todd. I couldn't be happier for you and Marty."

"Thanks, Sis... it's so long overdue," Todd said, returning his sister's hug before leaving Llanfair.

After a quick ceremony at the courthouse, Todd drove to the airport, where he and Marty boarded their plane. They had a tough time keeping their hands off each other during the flight as no matter what he said or did, Marty kept enticing him.

"Tropical honeymoon, here we come," he whispered in Marty's ear with a handsome grin.

Marty smiled at him as she took his hand. "Just you and me and sex on the beach," she said with a smirk. "Skinny dipping late at night."

"Sex on the beach, huh?" Todd said with a sexy smirk on his face. "And skinny dipping too... I've died and gone to Heaven, Marty. I just can't wait... I want to make love to you now..." Taking a single finger, he traced her lips softly, thinking about their wedding night and showing her all his love.

"I want all of it," Marty said, pulling his finger into her mouth sucking on it,  
swirling her tongue around it. She gave him a provacative look, passion blazing in her eyes.

Todd grabbed Marty in his arms and picked her up out of her seat. Grasping her wrist in his hand, he whisked her off toward the tiny airplane bathroom. "Right here... right now..." he said as he closed the door and set Marty down atop the counter of the sink. "This is where we consummate our marriage. I can't wait until I'm inside you, Marty. Take off your clothes."

Marty didn't have to be asked twice as she shed her clothes, tossing them all aside. "Mmmhmm ... here and now is good," she agreed with Todd. "I want you so badly."

Todd wasted no time at all. He freed his cock from his pants, letting the rest of his clothes remain. Marty was completely naked. Todd moved in closer, aligning his body to hers. "Love you," he whispered, sliding his length into her warm, moist heat.

"I love you, too," she whispered as she rocked her hips forward slightly, clinging to his shoulders as he buried himself deeply within her.

*Hmmm, we've just joined the Mile High Club... not a bad idea.* she was thinking.

Todd grasped Marty's asscheeks in his hands as he began to pound himself in and out of her tight slit. He kissed her hungrily, then trailed his lips down to her neck, gently suckling and biting. "This is the best place in the world... locked in your arms," he whispered in her ear.

"I never want to be anywhere else," she responded as her silken walls tightened around him hard and fast. "Just here with you..."

"Oh God, yes!" she cried out as she felt Todd's teeth as well as his tongue sweep across the soft skin where her neck met her shoulder.

"That's it, Marty," Todd spoke in a hot groan when he felt Marty's inner walls clenching so tightly on his cock. "Cummmm all over my cock... Come on...Let me feel it!" Ramming himself into her deeper, he reached between their bodies, toying with her hard little clit.

Marty threw her head back, moaning his name as she hit her climax, her juices spilling all over his cock to coat it nicely. The orgasm rocking her body had come fast and furious, stealing the breath from her lungs.

As Marty was cumming all over his cock, Todd hit his own orgasm. He thrust forward inside her as he reached fulfillment, filling her pussy. His breathing was ragged as he crushed her against him whispering how much he loved her. He didn't say another word, just held her while remaining locked so deep inside her.

Marty held onto him tightly, caressing his dark-blond hair while returning his words of love. She tried to catch her breath as her face remained buried against Todd's muscular chest. What they had in that moment was perfection. They were husband and wife now ... finally... and they had their whole lives ahead of them.

Very tenderly, Todd helped Marty dress. He then zipped up his pants and just held her so close in his embrace for a moment. "That was the best sex of my life, because after all that hell we've been through, you're finally mine," he said, gazing deeply into her eyes. Marty nodded, agreeing with him wholeheartedly.

Hand in hand, they left the airplane bathroom and returned to their seats. Todd held Marty's hand in his as she rested her head against his shoulder. He had just began to relax when the pilot came over the loud speaker.

"Everyone get ready for a crash landing. I repeat: The plane is going down... get ready for a crash landing!"

Marty had just laid her head on his shoulder and was almost out when she heard the announcement on the loud speaker from the pilot. Her blue eyes went wide as she looked at Todd in fear. "OH MY GOD!" she said. "The plane is going to crash?"

Todd took both of Marty's hands in his, trying to calm her. "Marty, calm down. Everything will be alright..." he swore, hoping it was true.

As the plane started going down, they were shaken by the turbulence. "Marty, listen to me. I love you... with all my heart... and if we die..." he said sorrowfully. "...At least we die together."

A single tear slid down Marty's cheek. "Paloma...she'll be okay without us,  
right?" she asked softly, her hand clutching Todd's so tight.

"I love you, Todd."

Todd kissed away the tear from Marty's cheek softly while holding Marty in his loving embrace.. "She'll be alright... Vicki will look after her," Todd promised. Crushing Marty as close as possible in his arms, he heard the terrible sounds of the plane falling thousands of miles toward the ground. Sweet oblivion came as the plane crashed.

There were no survivors.

Song Lyrics :

"I'll Follow You Into the Dark" by DEATHCAB

Love of mine some day you will die But I'll be close behind I'll follow you into the dark

No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white Just our hands clasped so tight Waiting for the hint of a spark If Heaven and Hell decide That they both are satisfied Illuminate the NOs on their vacancy signs

If there's no one beside you When your soul embarks Then I'll follow you into the dark...

You and me have seen everything to see From Bangkok to Calgary And the soles of your shoes are all worn down The time for sleep is now It's nothing to cry about 'cause we'll hold each other soon In the blackest of rooms

If Heaven and Hell decide That they both are satisfied Illuminate the No's on their vacancy signs

If there's no one beside you When your soul embarks Then I'll follow you into the dark Then I'll follow you into the dark

(The End) 


End file.
